Ginny's Plan
by kb0
Summary: At Dumbledore's funeral, Harry plans to leave his girlfriend behind while he goes to war. Ginny presents another plan. This is a book7 replacement with Harry being motivated to be smarter and wiser.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Ginny's Plan  
**Rating:** PG15  
**Pairing:** Harry/Ginny  
**Summary:** At Dumbledore's funeral, Harry plans to leave his girlfriend behind while he goes to war. Ginny presents another plan. This is a book7 replacement with Harry being motivated to be smarter and wiser.  
**Disclaimer:** The HP universe is owned by someone commonly referred to as JKR, and possibly some corporations too. I'm not her or them, I'm not even the right gender to be JKR. No money is being made off of this, though if she'd like to lose some her Euros in my direction, I'd happily accept.

**(A/N:** While the H/G pairing is my favorite, I don't write much of it anymore because I feel I've sort of done all I can with it - generally speaking. I do have a few ideas which I might do if time permits, this is one of them. Note that I don't write weak/stalker Ginny, but if you just can't read anything with her in it, please do us both a favor and find another story.

The first draft for this story is finished and it weighs in at 13 chapters and about 87K-words (or about the size of book2 in JKR's series). I'll try to post weekly and probably towards the end of the week, but real life will occasionally slow me down.

While you should consider this story Canon/Book compliant through the point where the story starts, I'm fairly certain I have the date for Dumbledore's funeral at least a week too late in time, but this works for my story. As for being compliant with book7, why? I'm replacing it. :) Of course, I might borrow a few things from it. Enjoy - Kevin**)**

**Ginny's Plan**

[Thu - Jul 3]

(This top section in bold is quoted from "HP:THBP".)

**Harry looked at Ginny, Ron and Hermione: Ron's face was screwed up as though the sunlight was blinding him. Hermione's face was glazed with tears, but Ginny was no longer crying. She met Harry's gaze with the same hard, blazing look that he had seen when she had hugged him after winning the Quidditch Cup in his absence, and he knew that at that moment they understood each other perfectly, and that when he told her what he was going to do now, she would not say 'Be careful', or 'Don't do it', but accept his decision, because she would not have expected anything less of him. And so he steeled himself to say what he had known he must say ever since Dumbledore had died.**

**'Ginny, listen...' he said very quietly, as the buzz of conversation grew louder around them and people began to get to their feet. 'I can't be involved with you anymore. We've got to stop seeing each other. We can't be together.'**

**She said, with an oddly twisted smile, 'It's for some stupid, noble reason, isn't it?'**

**'It's been like... like something out of someone else's life, these last few weeks with you,' said Harry. 'But I can't... we can't... I've got things to do alone now.'**

**She did not cry, she simply looked at him.**

**'Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He's already used you as bait once, and that was just because you're my best friend's sister. Think how much danger you'll be in if we keep this up. He'll know, he'll find out. He'll try and get to me through you.'**

**'What if I don't care?' said Ginny fiercely.**

**'I care,' said Harry. 'How do you think I'd feel if this was your funeral... and it was my fault...'**

**She looked away from him, over the lake. […] 'I just wish I'd asked you sooner. We could've had ages... months... years maybe...'**

"That's how you really feel?" Ginny asked as she let go of his hand and put both arms around his neck, pressed against him lightly. By the look on his face, that surprised him and stopped him from continuing, giving her some hope.

He nodded in answer, looking hurt from having to do that but keeping his resolve.

"You know," she started breezily, "that's one of the reasons I like you so much. You're noble, stupid about it sometimes like now, but noble. I really respect you for making a hard decision and sticking with it."

As he opened his mouth to reply, she moved one hand and placed a finger over his mouth. "You told me how you feel, let me explain my thoughts." He nodded and she removed her finger.

"Harry, I like you so much, it might even be the start of love; but if you walk away from me now, that's it - we're over forever; the war won't be a break and we get back together after. I'll go find someone else who's noble and smarter about it. But I can tell you how to fix this. It's obvious you aren't coming back to school next year. I don't want to go back next year so I can come with you and then I'm not at risk."

"But Ginny-"

Her finger moved back to his mouth again. "I'm not finished, Potter. I'm not going back because it won't be safe for me. My family is known to be staunch supports of Dumbledore; that makes me a target even if you get on top of the castle and shout that you've dumped me. I'm always going to be a target so if I'm not with you to protect me, you'll probably be going to my funeral anyway." That was bit of stretch, but she thought not much and she could tell by his horrified expression that it'd hit home.

"Therefore, you might as well let me come with you and I can guard your back as you guard mine. I'll learn the sixth year and some seventh year material on my own, and I'll be there to help you when you have questions about the Wizarding World. There's no doubt Hermione is brilliant, but she can't answer those sorts of questions like I can since I was raised here."

"Ron will be coming," he blurted out.

She chuckled mirthlessly. "Ron can't tell you much because he never learned, while I did. Think about it, Harry, if it's not Quidditch, chess, or food, how much does Ron really know?"

"That's not very fair," Harry retorted.

"Eh, so I exaggerated a little, but not all that much. Have you ever heard Ron explain anything about why the Wizarding World works as it does?" she asked pointedly.

He stared at her for a long moment before he finally gave her a quiet, "I can't think of any times." At her raised eyebrow which basically said, 'I told you so,' he asked, "But what about magic? You won't be seventeen yet," he said a little smugly, regaining his confidence."

"You've forgotten," she returned just as smugly, "that I use my grandmother's wand, which doesn't have the Trace on it. I do magic all the time away from school and have never gotten into trouble." Ginny knew that it couldn't have been traced to her because of where she did it - like at home or in Diagon Alley - at least most of the time; but there were times she should have been found and fined and had never been.

"You can't Apparate," he argued.

"I have all summer for you to teach me," she replied.

"Look, Harry, I can make this work. I can help you with information, guard your back, be an extra wand, and help you plan. Ah," she smiled at his sudden surprised look, "you haven't really planned yet, have you? Do know where you plan to stay? How much food to bring, especially if Ron comes? What about money? And do you have a 'plan B' for all of those?"

He just blinked at her, which made her sigh. "Damnit, Harry, you're setting yourself up for failure here and you need me. Still, I'm not going to force myself on you. You have to decide: are you dumping me so we never date again or will I be helping you as a full member of the team? You have until tonight to decide; I'll be around and you have the Map to help find me."

Her speech given, she pulled him close and kissed him hard. "You'll never get that again too if you dump me." She turned and walked back toward the castle, doing her best not to cry at the thought he might dump her. If he did, she meant what she said; she'd still not return to school and she'd find someone else - she had her needs and her pride.

Harry watched her walk away and felt really confused as he realized he didn't understand her as perfectly as he'd thought since that conversation had gone nothing like he'd imagined it would. He also saw Scrimgeour walking his way; he felt safer guessing how this conversation would go.

— — —

Hermione walked over to Ginny, who was sitting in a chair in the corner and holding a Teen Witch Weekly and pretending to read it for lack of anything else to do. The sixth year took the seat next to her. "Well?"

"It went as expected," Ginny said grumpily. "He wanted to dump me to protect me, then of course get back together again later - or so I'll assume; he really didn't address later." She shook her head. "He needs someone of to help him with planning too - badly. He hasn't asked you, has he?"

"No," Hermione confirmed. "I've tried to bring it up, but he's so focused on the end goal he's not seeing the journey, or so I think. Of course, Dumbledore's death is distracting for all of us."

"He hasn't planned, or at least he hadn't when we talked earlier. I might have opened his eyes up to that at least. Dumbledore picked a bad time to go," Ginny groused.

"The timing is most unfortunate," Hermione said a little dejectedly.

"He's just walked in," Ginny said, purposefully not moving more than her eyes.

"I should go-"

"Stay until he comes over, if he does." Ginny watched him look around and saw his expression change to contemplative when he saw her. They stared at each other for a moment before Harry turned and walked another direction.

"I guess it's official, I'm dumped," Ginny said morosely and looked down at the floor.

Hermione reached out a hand and put it on her arm. "I'm sorry, I really am."

They sat there for a long moment until someone cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Hermione, I need to talk to Ginny - alone." Both girls were startled and their heads jerked upward as one.

"Sure, Harry," Hermione told him before looking at her other friend. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

As the brunette walked away, Harry took her seat and sat there stiffly looking across the room instead of at her; Ginny stared at her hands which were slowly destroying the magazine as she gripped and twisted it. "I didn't appreciate it when you essentially called me stupid, but thinking through the whole conversation I can see that you might have had a small point with a task or two."

Ginny looked at him. "I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't really mean it literally. I was trying to say you weren't thinking everything through as much as you should have. I don't know what you need to do, but I wonder if it'd be correct to say that you're so focused on your end goal you haven't thought about everything you need to do to get there." She hoped Hermione was correct.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he looked at her. "There's probably some truth to that, maybe a lot. This really isn't the time to tell you about what I have to do."

"There's time this summer if you want it." She emboldened herself and said, "What's going to happen between you and me?"

He looked down at his hands, still sitting ram-rod straight. "I desperately don't want to put you in peril, but I don't want to lose you either."

"Maybe just a little bit of peril?" she suggested with a hint of humor.

Harry snorted and grinned as he looked back at her. "I've always like your jokes and humor." His smile dropped, "We'll probably have to fight some Death Eaters, be chasing Voldemort, and to be successful we'll have to catch him. Still want to go?"

"We won't have to fight with Dumbledore's rules, will we?" she asked pointedly.

"I don't think I can cast the Killing Curse, but I won't be using Stunners," he told her.

She gave him a smirk. "I'd love to come watch your back … and your backside - Potter."

He looked away with embarrassment, but he also smiled. "Your backside is very pleasant to look at too, Weasley."

"Thank you, Harry." She dropped the magazine on the floor and got up and moved to sit in his lap. "I'm glad you saw it my way."

He chuckled and put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, so she leaned her shoulder on his and her head on his head.

"When do you want to plan?" she asked. "Because there are some things you very much need to do now rather than wait until it's all-out war."

"Thought I'd start when I went back to the Dursleys," he sounded a little depressed. "I could owl you some lists."

Ginny snorted. "Harry, no need to go there for the four weeks you have. They'll be looking for you there."

"Your house won't be any better," he replied, daring her to contradict him "At least at the Dursleys I'll have the blood wards until my birthday, or so Dumbledore said."

"My house would probably be only slightly better. Listen, I know you won't find it pleasant, but go to your godfather's house. Bill told me the Fidelius can be broken but it's hard to do. You control the wards so lock the place down except for the few of us you want there; the Blacks are famous for their wards. It's also got a respectable library that has books on things we might have to fight. Again, not a pleasant place, but it's something helpful you shouldn't lightly ignore."

"I had considered it after I left the Dursleys, but you have a point that it might be best to go straight there. And yeah, I probably should go withdraw some money in both currencies while it's easy." He sighed. "We go home tomorrow, why don't you come over the day after and we can start planning. I'll get Kreacher to help me change the wards and I'll put at least the four of us on the list."

Ginny kissed him for a couple of minutes. "Good plan," she finally told him before she took a deep breath and let it out.

"What?" he asked.

Ginny wasn't sure she wanted to ask this, but felt like she had to. "Harry, how do you see Hermione? Would you ever want to, you know, date her?" She felt a little better as he squeezed her to him for a moment.

"I hope you can understand that she'll always be my friend, but that's really all. She's a good friend but I can't see more happening. I know she has my best interests in mind, but sometimes she goes about it the wrong way and that pisses me off, at least a little. But she's my friend so I let it go."

She kissed him again, "Thank you for your honest answer. I'll see you down here in time for breakfast, all right?"

"Sure." He kissed her this time before letting her go. He watched her walk up the stairs and out of sight. He headed up to his dorm room to find the homework planner Hermione had given him for Christmas one year but that he'd never really used much. Ginny had a good point that he needed to plan and sooner was better than later.

— — —

"How did it go?" Hermione asked when Ginny walked into her room. As Ginny looked around, Hermione said, "They're not here."

Ginny flopped on her friend's bed and stared at the ceiling. "Surprisingly well. I'll be joining you on this adventure. He said we can start planning the day after we get home; I'll get him to tell me everything then."

"I'm very impressed you got him to listen," Hermione said with admiration.

"The Weasley charm," she said before she started to giggle and Hermione joined her. "I think some of the reason is that I kiss him while you don't." She looked at her friend and saw a raised eyebrow.

"Since I have never kissed him and don't plan to start, I suppose there is some support for that."

"He told me he doesn't plan to date you," Ginny watched more closely now and saw her friend only shrug.

"I'm sure we could get along if we tried, certainly better than Ron and myself, but I don't expect to ever date Harry," the brunette said matter-of-factly.

Ginny couldn't stop her snort at the thought of her brother dating her friend before she sat up. "Do you think I'll be able to talk him into not bringing Ron along?"

"I doubt it. With you along, I don't think Ron is really needed." Hermione added hastily, "He's my friend but if I'm honest about it, he hasn't helped us solve much over the years. His best use is male support for Harry."

"I suppose we'll find out," Ginny said as she stood. "Thanks for all the advice you've given me this year."

"Of course, what are friends for? I really do hope it works out well for you two, and for us on this mission," Hermione added the last part wistfully.

* * *

[Fri - Jul 4]

"Hello, Mrs Weasley," Harry told the woman as he walked over with Ginny's hand in his. He continue to casually scan the train platform for problems as the other students disembarked the train and did the same.

"Hello, Harry," the woman returned his greeting and gave him a hug before she gave her daughter one too. "I saw your relatives outside."

"Err, thanks," he said, looking at Ginny who smirked ever so slightly, knowing his plans.

After Ron was hugged by his mother, he looked at Harry. "So, I guess I can come over in a few days. I know Mum will want me home for at least that long."

Harry glanced at his mother and noticed she was paying attention and giving her son a scowl, obviously not liking what she was hearing. "Don't worry about it, Ron. Having you come over to keep me company isn't really needed now. I don't plan on staying with the Dursleys, so you don't need to be there."

"But Dumbledore said it was important for you to stay there for your safety," Molly protested.

"Plans have changed with his death," Harry said simply before lowering his voice. "I'll be staying at my Godfather's house and the first thing I'll do is change the wards to make sure Snape can't get in. I'll be safe enough. Then no one has to worry about how I'd leave my relatives on my birthday. Don't forget, Voldemort told me he knows where they live."

Molly looked shocked; apparently, Dumbledore hadn't told them that, Harry mused. "I'll get ahold of you soon, mate." Harry slapped Ron on the shoulder in a friendly manner before turning to Ginny and pulling her into a hug. He whispered, "I'd do more if your mum wasn't here." He kissed her on the cheek before standing straight.

Rolling her eyes, Ginny grabbed his head and kissed him on the lips, though it wasn't for very long.

"Ginny!" the woman hissed, but her daughter let go and smiled. "See you soon."

Harry chuckled and turned, giving the crowd another quick look over before walking towards the Apparation point. Just after a family left, he stepped into the area with his lightened trunk and left with a quiet crack.

"He knows he's not supposed to do that yet," Molly muttered, a little upset.

"But it's safer for him," Ginny said. "Let's go home."

"We're only waiting for your father," she told her daughter, "so he can take Ron home at the same time. He was supposed to have been here but was delayed at work."

Ginny sighed, but she looked around too in order to be vigilant, not that she expected trouble here now. September was another matter and one she didn't want to deal with.

— — —

Harry arrived on the back porch, a place that was mostly sheltered by shrubs. He didn't know why the adults normally went to the front door, but maybe because it wasn't their house so they had to use the formal front door. He touched his wand to the door and it unlocked.

Entering what he suspected was the servant's entrance, he found himself in the kitchen as expected. He set his trunk down and called out, "Kreacher!"

The elf popped in. "What does filthy Half-blood master want now?"

Harry gave the elf his best disappointed look. "What I want is for you to act like a proper house-elf. You will treat me with respect and with no more insults, understand?"

Kreacher looked like he wanted to throw another tantrum, but instead simply nodded with a surly expression.

"In return, I will treat you with respect," Harry told him. "First thing we do here is to secure ourselves. Have others been here since I was here last?"

"Old one with the funny eye set up something good for greasy one," Kreacher said with delight before he spat, "and I caught nasty thief here stealing Black treasures … maybe others while I haven't been here." He shot a dark look at Harry, since the elf considered it Harry's fault he hadn't been here.

Harry considered the statement and there was some truth to it since he'd sent the elf to Hogwarts for much of the year. "Let's change that. Take me to where I can change the wards to limit who comes into the house."

Kreacher looked at him for a moment before turning and taking Harry to a narrow panel in the wall, still in the kitchen. With a snap of his fingers, the panel opened and there was a doorway to another room.

"I never knew that was there," Harry said as he walked over and looked into the dark space, before lighting his wand and following Kreacher.

"Black family secret," was said painfully as he led Harry in. "The main ward stone," the elf said and pointed unnecessarily at the large rock that had runes carved all over it and glowed dimly.

"How do I change who can come in?" Harry looked at the elf and felt that if the elf ever rolled his eyes he would have now. Still, it in the end, Kreacher helped him remove access for everyone except himself, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Remus, and Tonks. At the last moment, he decided to add Neville and Luna, though he wasn't sure how he was going to get the secret for the Fidelius to share with them. He felt that was enough for now.

Going back into the kitchen and Kreacher sealing the secret room again, Harry considered his need. "Kreacher, is there enough food in this house for us for the next week?"

"Probably not."

"Well, I don't have a list, but go get enough of the basics. You know, eggs, bacon and other meats, fruits and vegetables, whatever to have about twenty meals. Is there a house fund for you to buy groceries with?"

"Yes, Master."

"Very good. Go do that and come back and put it away. After that, I want you to go find … nasty thief. Tell Fletcher to give you back everything he took. If he resists, you're allowed to do whatever you need to short of killing him in order to defend yourself and to get the stuff back. If he sold it, find out who he sold it to and you can go steal it and bring it home since it is ours." He looked at the elf and saw it was starting to do something that almost looked like a grin, as horrible as it was. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master!" the elf said with enthusiasm before popping away.

Harry shook his head at the unusual elf before levitating his trunk and heading upstairs. He stopped at the bedroom he and Ron normally stayed in and looked in for a moment. Seeing the empty picture of the former headmaster on the wall, he turned and kept going.

Looking in the bedroom that Sirius had stayed in, he hesitated for a moment before walking in. It was the largest one he'd seen in the house and it had its own bathroom, while all the others had to share the bathroom in the hall. That made him grin for a moment.

Putting his trunk down, he looked around a bit more and started to clean. It didn't take long before he started to find things that reminded him of Sirius. He dropped into a chair and thought about his godfather for a moment, fighting the tears. He missed him terribly, yet he would have to go on.

He'd be mostly alone for the next month, but not completely. It could be worse, he supposed, like living with the Dursleys. He might not have listened to Ginny and then he'd not even be this far along.

* * *

[Sun - Jul 6]

Harry was making a late lunch for himself a couple of days later when the fireplace flared and Ginny stepped out.

She gave him a large grin as she brushed herself off and came over. "Hi!" she told him brightly and gave him a kiss, which he eagerly returned.

A moment later, the fireplace flared again and now Ron stepped out. "Hey, mate." He scowled slightly as he saw the couple with an arm around the other's waist, but he didn't mention it. "Glad to find you here. Mum's looking for you to make sure you're safe."

"She tried to come over and couldn't," Ginny giggled, "so we came over to see if we could find you."

"Yeah, why couldn't she come over?" Ron asked, not seeming to care about the answer.

"For my safety, I removed access for all but my friends and a few others," Harry said. "I know I can trust your parents not to hurt me, but I honestly didn't want her to come over here and try to mother me."

"She would," Ginny confirmed, "although I'm not sure we should tell her what you said."

"Yeah, probably a good idea," Harry agreed as he took his pasta off the stove and started putting it on his plate, "but I'm not sure how else to say it."

"You can cook?" Ron asked surprised.

"I can; can't you?" Harry returned as he sat down.

"Naw, no need."

Harry looked at Ginny, who just shook her head in disappointment at her brother's attitude.

"What do we tell her?" Ginny asked as she grabbed a glass a water and joined him. Ron remained standing.

"I guess sorry, but I've closed access to all but a few people for safety." Harry grinned at her. "I've put the twins on the list if they want to come see me, or if they need to for some reason. I've also added Remus and Tonks; they're the only adults."

"What about Hermione?" Ron asked quickly.

"Her too, obviously," Harry answered and looked at Ginny, who just rolled her eyes.

"Go tell her," Ginny told her brother. "I'll be only a minute behind you."

"No way I'm telling her that," he replied. "I'll wait for you."

"Suit yourself," she told her brother as she handed a napkin to her boyfriend, who took it as he understood the hint. A moment later, the couple was kissing.

"Gah! Will you two quit that?!" Ron shouted.

Ginny pulled back languidly. "If you don't want to watch us kiss, then go back." She moved forward again and Harry participated gladly.

A few seconds later, Ron was gone in a flash from the Floo powder.

"Thought he'd never leave," Harry said as they parted again.

Ginny giggled as she stood. "How's your planning going?"

"Slowly," he answered. "After lunch, I'm making a list of the major things we have to help us. I was going to walk around the house to look too, but I think I'll wait until someone else is available. Sirius always said to be careful and I'm not sure all the dangerous things have been removed."

"Good idea," she agreed. "I'll come over when I can, though I don't know how often that will be before we move in. Oh, I can't really move in until after Bill's wedding." She made a face.

"What?" he asked.

"It's just Fleur," she said a little sullenly. "I guess she's okay, but she's just so perfect looking and trying overly hard to be helpful that it's annoying."

"Be nice," Harry commanded easily. "She going to be family."

"I have enough family as it is," Ginny retorted. "Guess I better go. See ya later."

Harry watched her leave with a sigh. He could hardly wait until she was here all the time as she could help him explore the house. Or, he considered, he could write Hermione and see if she had a little extra time.

That evening, Hedwig flew off with a short note.

* * *

(A/N: That's the start for you. I have an interesting idea for this story that I've not seen elsewhere, which I hope others find interesting also. - Kevin)


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews and the welcome back. As the bio page says I'm pretty busy now-a-days so I don't write as much as I used to.)

* * *

**Ginny's Plan - Chapter 2**

[Mon - Jul 7]

Harry had just finished breakfast the next morning when he heard a knock on the front door. Pulling out his wand, he went to answer it. While he wished he could see who was out there, there was no way, so he opened the door only a few inches. Smiling at his visitor, he opened the door and motioned her in. She came in knowing what was here and so said nothing as he closed the door and led her to the parlor.

"Hermione, good to see you," he told her when they were well away from the portrait of Mrs Black. That was something else he was going to have to take care of one day.

"Hi Harry. I'm glad you wrote me," she said. "I was about to try to contact you. How are you doing here?"

"Mostly fine," he said with a sigh. "I've had a few strong memories hit me, but I've been good for the most part. It's awfully quiet, so I'm looking forward to the rest of you joining me after the wedding."

"I'll try to come over when I can, even if it's just to read; then you'll have someone else in the house. When my parents are at work, it doesn't matter if I'm at home or here." She stopped and looked around. "Isn't Kreacher here?"

"He was here when I arrived, but I've sent him out to run a few errands," Harry said before moving to the next topic quickly. "Since you have some time, could you help me with a few things?"

"Sure," she agreed before she pinned him with a look. "What crazy task did you need my help with? Or your note made it sound crazy."

"What? No, nothing crazy. I just…" he paused and looked down for a moment. "All right, this may sound a little crazy at first, but I just wanted someone here as I looked around the house in case, you know, I run into something unexpected. You know how my luck goes sometimes." He gave her a sheepish look and saw her relax.

"That's sensible," she nodded and look around again. "I think this room is fine as Mrs Weasley and Mr Moody looked it over. We've all been in the kitchen and other rooms downstairs. So the rest of this floor and the others above?"

"Yeah, come on," Harry told her, "and be ready for anything." He pulled his wand back out and she followed his example as they started going from room to room.

"Speaking of your parents," Harry started as they looked around the dining room, "what are you going to do about them while we're busy hunting?"

When she didn't answer immediately, he looked over to see her looking pensive. "Hey," he said and stepped over and put a hand on her shoulder, which was apparently all it took for her composure to break and she practically leapt at him and threw her arms around his shoulders. "Hey, it'll be all right," he said softly as he patted her on the back and hoped it was the right thing.

She shook her head and sniffled. "The only plan I can come up with is to Obliviate them of my existence and send them to Australia and I'd rather not do that."

It was official, she'd shocked him. This was right up there and probably beyond her slugging Malfoy at the end of third year. "Seriously?" he asked quietly and felt her nod her head. "I know this is going to sound radical, but have you considered telling them about the war and asking them to move?" He couldn't help his grin, nor did he hide it when she pulled back and glared at him.

"Of course I have," she answered hotly

"And what did they say?"

"I considered that, but didn't do it," she said defeated and turned away from him.

"I admit I don't have a lot of experience doing something like this so maybe it's a bad idea, but I'd tell them there's a war on and they need to move for their own safety," he told her, causing her to turn back to him.

"The first thing they'll do is take me with them," she said pointedly, daring him to disagree.

"I'm sure they'll try, just like any parent would who loves their child, but you're Hermione; you'll talk them out of it," he said cheekily.

"Harry," she said with a lot of exasperation, "my parents aren't stupid."

"Didn't say they were," he replied. "Look, at least try. If the worst happens, then you can Obliviate them; but just maybe, they'll understand you need to be here, that they can't really protect themselves in a magical war, and they'll go to the continent. You could visit them there from time to time if this goes on for too long. Or maybe try South Africa, there are Brits there I've heard."

"I'll think about it some more," she said not sounding confident, but Harry knew she would. "Let's go to the next room."

After the first floor, then went up to the second floor that was mostly bedrooms.

"This one is the master's bedroom. Sirius stayed here as am I, so I know it's safe," he told her, trying not to think about his godfather too much.

Hermione nodded and moved on.

Harry had to light the lamps in the hallway it was so dark. When he turned, he saw Hermione staring at the next door. He was about to ask why when he saw the name plaque on the door: Regulus Arcturus Black. "R.A.B."

"Could it really be this easy?" she asked, still not moving.

"He was a Death Eater. I wonder if it's here?" Harry asked hopefully as a memory tickled the back of his brain. Hermione finally moved and opened the door and he followed.

"I think someone else has been in the house," she told him. "It's been ransacked."

"The master bedroom was a little messy, but that could have just been Sirius. It wasn't this bad though." He looked around anyway and didn't see anything useful for their hunt or anything that looked dangerous.

The next room was also ransacked. "Fletcher, I'll bet on it," growled Harry. "Kreacher said he'd been here stealing things. Good thing I've locked him out."

Hermione nodded. "I don't see anything helpful in here."

As he was about to leave, Harry saw photograph of a woman wearing a gold necklace with a golden heart around her neck. That brought the memory forward. "The locket!"

"We know Regulus had it at one time, so what about the locket?" Hermione asked, surprised at his outburst.

"The locket we want was here. We found it while cleaning the dining room two summers ago, remember?" he asked excitedly.

Hermione just blinked at him for a moment before she grinned too. "Yes, you're right. Where do you think it went? We need to go look."

"Kreacher, come!" Harry commanded.

The elf popped in a moment later, looking tired. "Master called?"

"Uh, Kreacher, you don't look so good. Are you eating and sleeping properly?" Harry asked, wondering about the elf.

"Master said to retrieve Black treasures, Kreacher is doing so. Nasty thief is resisting," Kreacher gave his ugly grin again, "Kreacher is enjoying the challenge."

Hermione looked puzzled and like she was about to start asking questions, questions that Harry was sure he didn't want her asking. "I'll let you get back to that in a moment, but I need to know what happened to the gold locket with a snake on it that we found when we were cleaning. Where is it?"

The house-elf's expression turned murderous. "Nasty thief took it then sold it. Kreacher has yet to find it but he will. It was Master Regulus's and the last thing the master gave me." He looked down as if defeated.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, kneeling down on one knee.

"Master told Kreacher to destroy it but Kreacher has been unable to. It resists Elf magic."

Harry looked up at his friend and saw she was wide-eyed, probably thinking "That's it!" like he was. "Kreacher, if you can get it and bring it back, I'll help you destroy it. All right?"

The elf looked up with hope on his face and renewed vigor. "Kreacher will find it!" He snapped his fingers and was gone again.

Harry stood and considered the conversation for a moment before he shook his head. "I wonder what other surprises we'll find here?" He moved on to the next room and Hermione followed him. He was thankful she didn't ask him about Kreacher's mission.

"At least we're one little step closer," she encouraged him.

"Yeah, but if we don't get it, then that wasn't much help." Harry stopped and looked at the library. "I think we're good here and I don't see anything we might want to take with us to hunt with."

"Harry, can I borrow this book, and the one next to it," she asked as she pulled two off the shelf and started looking through them.

"As long as you bring them back later, sure," he told her.

She closed the two slim and plain brown leather bound books with faded gold letters on their spine and smiled at him. "I promise."

They moved onto the next room. Harry found little else of importance that he felt he had to have by the time they'd finished walking through the house, making him feel a little disappointed. Still, this was one thing he could cross off his list.

— — —

Harry felt someone stroke his head and immediately woke up to find Ginny sitting on the couch where he'd fallen asleep. "What are you doing here?" he asked a little groggily.

"Hi to you too, sleepyhead," she said with a grin before yawning.

"You don't seem so bright yourself," Harry quipped as he sat up.

"I had to wait longer than expected for everyone to fall asleep so I could sneak over here," she explained, "but I'm ready."

Harry blinked at her for a moment. "Ready for what?"

"For you to explain what's going on. It's just the two of us, no one else can overhear, plus we have a couple of hours if we need it." She just looked at him and waited.

Harry nodded slowly and looked across the room, seeming to be in a daze.

"How much do you remember of … Tom Riddle?" he asked, dreading this conversation but knowing he'd promised to tell her.

She appreciated that he wasn't really looking at her as she felt embarrassed at having been tricked by the dairy. Ginny decided this was a conversation for full honesty, no holding back anything even if it was embarrassing. "I tell everyone that I don't remember much, but I remember some things. I didn't learn everything he knew at time he created the diary, but I did learn some magic from it … and I learned about him too.

"He could be very charming, but he had a cruel streak too. Very smart and well read, strong magically, could be very patient … at least until he reached his breaking point then he was as reactionary as any Gryffindor," she ended with a chuckle that Harry shared. "Why?"

"I know a lot of the why's now," Harry told her. "I know why he attacked my family and still comes after me. I know why he didn't die that night and why it's hard to kill him. It's not pretty."

"He's not a good person," Ginny returned quietly.

Harry looked her in the eyes for a long moment and nodded. Then he started talking, using most of an hour to explain about all that had happened to him and his family, including a prophecy and about soul anchors, which included his conversations over the last year with the Headmaster.

Ginny wasn't shocked silent because of the horror; no, she was silent because she was trying to take it all in and make sense of it - so many things that shouldn't have happened. While he just looked at her after his long story, she finally flung herself at him and wrapped him in a tight hug. "I'm so very sorry this has all happened to you."

A tired "Thanks" was all he said as he hugged her back.

"I need to think about all of this," she told him. "It probably works that it'll be a few days before I can sneak back since I have a lot to think about. How's your planning?"

He let go of her and leaned back; she twisted a little and laid her head in his lap. Ginny enjoyed him laying a hand on her head and stroking it lightly.

"All right, I suppose," he answered finally after a moment. "I think I have a list of a few things that are in this house that could be helpful and I've started a longer list of things I should probably buy soon, like you said, before full war makes it hard.

"Hermione came over and spent most of the day here and we walked through the house. Nothing bad happened, but we didn't poke around too much either. I think Sirius did clean out the worst of things.

"Oh, I called Kreacher back from his errand and got an update. He's apparently found Dung and is getting all the things that the thief stole."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but is he doing anything to Dung?" she asked with a little trepidation. "You could be held accountable if he hurts Dung and Dung reports it."

Harry looked surprised. "I didn't know that, but I doubt it'll be a problem. If he reported it, he'd have to admit to stealing enough stuff he'd be spending twenty or more years in Azkaban I bet." Harry snorted. "In fact, the thing that was stolen that I want the most might be considered priceless - Slytherin's Locket."

"It was here?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I think we all touched it a couple of summers ago when we were cleaning."

Ginny looked like she might be sick.

"Anyway, I'm not too worried; I told Kreacher he couldn't kill Dung," Harry finished.

"Still-" Ginny was interrupted by the sound of various small pops. The two sat up and looked over and in the middle of the room, another small pop was heard and what looked like a wooden briefcase appeared and joined several silver candlesticks, a money pouch, and other unidentifiable things in a small pile, which continued to grow.

"I would guess Kreacher has been successful," Harry said dryly as the teens continued to watch items and small boxes continue to appear.

Several minutes after it all started, the largest pop occurred and Kreacher appeared, looking a bit haggard but also victorious with a large golden locket on a chain around his neck. "I have it all back, Master."

"Well done, Kreacher," Harry praised him honestly. "I do hope Dung was still alive when you left?"

"Nasty thief will live if he wants to," the elf spat. "Stole and sold Master Regulus's prize locket. Took Kreacher hours to find it on neck of nasty toad-like woman."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other in surprise. "You don't suppose…" he started.

"Don't want to know," she told him seriously.

"Yeah, probably for the best," Harry agreed.

He stood and reached into a pocket and pulled out the fake locket that he'd carried with him ever since that fateful night; he removed the note in it though. "I'll give you this from your Master Regulus for that locket and I promise I'll find a way to destroy it. You'll also feel better without that near you, or so I'd think."

Kreacher looked down at it for a moment and frowned, before he grabbed it and removed it from his neck. He took the locket from Harry and gave Slytherin's locket to his master.

"Thank you, Kreacher." He looked at Ginny. "I need to put this someplace safe, be right back." Harry hurried towards the stairs.

Ginny just shook her head at it all. "Did Dung sell very much of it so you had to go find it? Or did he still have most of it?"

The elf looked at her for a moment, obviously trying to figure out if he should answer. "Over half was gone and had to be retrieved," was finally said.

"I'm impressed you found it all so quickly," said Ginny, trying to make nice with the old house-elf.

Harry came tromping back down the stairs at a fast clip. "Sorry, but I really didn't want to have to hold onto that."

"I understand," she said as she rose. "I probably should go."

"Yeah, don't want you to get into trouble."

She giggled. "You're the one in trouble, mister. Mum is not happy with you with preventing her from coming over and checking on you. She's sure you're doing things you shouldn't be."

"Like snogging her daughter?" he said with a grin.

Ginny laughed. "That for sure. Dad's not thrilled; he only thinks it would be wise of you to add them in case you need help from adults."

"Please point out to them that Remus and Tonks have access," he told her. "Tell them I'll think about adding them, but between you and me, I don't think I want her here after the way she treated Sirius. I'm afraid she'd try to treat me the same way."

"Probably a reasonable concern," she said with a snort. "Owl me a letter with that in it so she doesn't wonder how I found out."

"Sure."

"If I come over in the day time, I'll probably have to bring Ron. I assume that's all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, it would be good to see and talk to him. I can't plan all the time or I'd be bored," he said teasingly.

"We wouldn't want that," she said as she wrapped her arms around him and proceeded to kiss him. It was a few minutes before they broke apart, each breathing heavily. "I need to go."

"If you must," he said with resignation.

"One day, Potter…"

"Yeah, one day, Weasley."

They grinned at each other and then she turned to leave.

Harry watched her leave the room to go home. It wasn't until then that he realized Kreacher was still there, watching him with a sour look. "Go get all the rest you need. This stuff can stay here. You can put it away when you get up. We'll talk about your duties tomorrow." With that, Harry left for bed.

* * *

[Wed - Jul 9]

Harry hadn't worked overly hard on his plans, but with a couple more days with not much else to do, he had finished the lists he needed for now. Currently, he was in research mode in the library, looking at the titles of books, hoping he could find the next thing he needed. The last two hours had been fruitless, but he forced himself to continue. Hearing a voice behind him gave him some relief from his task.

"Harry?"

"Remus?" he said as he turned. "What brings you over here?"

"A letter. Do you have a few minutes to talk?" the man said as he walked over to the small table and stood by a chair, his request obvious.

"Sure," Harry replied and took the other chair as Remus took his. "As I don't remember sending your letter yet because it's only half written, what letter are you referring to?" He was quite certain he knew, and it turned out he was correct.

"The one from the Weasleys I received this morning." When Harry made no reply, Remus continued. "Molly was quite upset with what you wrote and is … well, she's demanding you come to The Burrow."

"And you've been sent as the messenger?" Harry asked calmly, probably enjoying this conversation more than he really should.

"Since she can't get here, then yes."

"What about Arthur?" Harry asked.

"He thinks it'd be best if you had some supervision, but he's not upset," Remus answered. "Look, Harry, I get it, I really do. You're experiencing some freedom for the first time in your life, but is this really the best time to flaunt it? We're on the edge of a war and it's about to get very ugly. I have first-hand experience from the last one, and in a way you do too."

While Harry didn't appreciate the reference to his parents' death, he could understand what Remus was trying to tell him. "Remus, I appreciate you checking on me, but I'm fine here-"

"Snape can get in!"

Harry just grinned. "I'd like to see him try. Besides, aren't we discussing how I've successfully restricted access? Remus, you're here only because you're enough of a family friend that I let you, not to mention that I can see the benefit to having some adults in my life. But honestly, there are very few adults I fully trust."

"Not even Arthur and Molly Weasley?" Remus asked with incredulity.

"Arthur more than Molly, but while I generally trust them, I don't fully trust them. Tell me, Remus," Harry looked at the family friend, "how did she treat my godfather in his own house? And did Arthur ever rein her in?"

Remus looked down at his hands on the table.

"Then there was the time Fred and George, along with Ron, broke me out of my relatives house and as far as I know, their parents never really questioned or investigated why their sons had to do that. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that they didn't believe a word of what their sons told about that time, making me wonder how much they really care about me, little Harry, and not The-Boy-Who-Lived.

"Despite that, I truly appreciate them accepting me into their home for the few times they did. I even have a special fondness for them. Nevertheless, I don't fully trust them at the moment.

"Truth be told, I have my questions about if I should really trust you after not seeing you for twelve years." Harry watched Remus jerk his head up to look at Harry. "But I'm going to call those mistakes, uh, misunderstandings because of my parents. You also get points because you've tried to make up for the misunderstandings, so I'm going to try to trust you anyway. Since Tonks is with you and is family from my Black side, she gets access too."

"But Molly and Arthur don't," he stated, seeming to have the need to clarify.

"Not now, but later is possible." Harry paused and sighed. "Can you keep something to yourself?"

"Yes," Remus answered without hesitation.

"Professor Dumbledore gave me a task to do in relation to the war," Harry said seriously. "I'm not going to say what as he asked me not to spread it around, but it's something that needs to be done and he chose me. So besides enjoying my freedom, as you put it, I need freedom to pursue that task. If Molly Weasley were here, I couldn't do that because she has unrealistic expectations."

"How so?" asked Remus.

"You really need me to tell you?" Harry queried with what he hoped was his best 'are you truly serious' look.

"I can guess," Remus said tiredly as he leaned back in his chair, "but humor me."

"She wants the war over like a lot of people, including me," Harry explained. "To end the war is going to take not only a small miracle but a lot of work. Yet on the other hand, she doesn't want me or anyone else my age to grow up and take part in the war. Those two things are contradictory."

"She'd tell you that you shouldn't be fighting in the war-" Remus started until Harry cut him off.

"But the war isn't going to end unless I, me, Harry Potter, do some very special things!" he told the man hotly.

"You really are the Chosen One?" Remus asked, sounding like he hoped it wasn't so.

"Dumbledore told the Order nothing about ending the war?"

"Not really," Remus said dejectedly. "Of course the Daily Prophet says you have to defeat him, but I don't believe it."

Harry wanted to roll his eyes but resisted. "I fully agree that newspaper isn't worth the paper it's printed on most of the time; but in this instance, it is correct."

Remus's eyes went wide and he stared at the younger man.

"If you can have a private conversation with only those two, you have my permission to tell them that the war isn't going to end without me doing some very special things. While not required, I'd appreciate their support; but I will not accept interference, from them or anyone else. Remus, I'm very serious about this."

The werewolf put his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes for a moment. Harry let him, giving the man a moment to fully absorb the situation. He knew he'd taken a slightly heavy-handed approach, but he felt the message had to be sent. He really did like the Weasley parents, but he couldn't allow Molly to wrap him up safely and prevent him from destroying the Horcruxes and eventually Voldemort.

"I know it may be an unusual way to do it," Harry said softly, "but I'm trying to protect them."

Remus dropped his hands. "Perhaps you should come over and tell her that."

Harry chuckled and Remus joined him lightly. "If I have to, I will; but honestly, it'd probably devolve into a shouting match at the moment. I'd suggest talking to Arthur alone and let him explain it to her; it's what I'd do if I had to."

"Probably the best either of us could do," Remus admitted. "Err, I do have to ask, does dating her daughter factor into this desire for extra privacy?"

Harry hoped he hadn't blushed, but the small smirk on Remus's face told him he probably had, at least a little. "Not purposefully, but it's a nice coincidence."

"Right," Remus drawled knowingly. "So what are you doing here and in the library at that? This seems more like Hermione's past-time not yours."

Harry relaxed at the change of topic. "I come here mostly for planning with the occasional bit of relaxation in the evenings. At the moment, I'm trying to find a spell. You could help me while you're here, if you have time."

"Perhaps, what did you need?"

"I need to know how to do glamours. I'd also like to know why Sirius didn't use them to get out a little so he didn't feel so caged," asked Harry.

"You do ask some hard ones," he muttered, but obviously not trying to hide what he said. Adopting his teacher look, he said, "Glamours are actually fairly hard to do for most people. They're like Notice-Me-Not charms, they generally work but if someone tries hard enough, they can be broken - or rendered useless. That usually happens because the glamour wasn't cast well enough, leaving something that looks 'off', and when someone looks close enough and questions what they're seeing, the glamour tends to break. It also suffers from the problem that if an Ending Spell, purposeful or stray, hits you then the glamour is gone. So few actually use them, including Sirius who was quite average when casting them, meaning his didn't work well."

"Hmm, what other options exist to disguise someone who needs to be out and talking to people but doesn't want to be recognized?" Harry asked.

"Well, Tonks might be better able to answer since she had a course at Auror School for that, or so I think," Remus said. "However, sometimes it's better to do a several little things. Like changing the color of your hair is pretty easy and that can fool people who are only giving you a glance. You might want to change glasses, or even get contacts. A hat can hide your scar, but…" he smirked, "you might do better to investigate make-up, like girls or theater performers use."

Harry just blinked, as he considered using something like Ginny or Hermione used. "Uhh, yeah, right," he said, not sure how to respond.

Remus out-right laughed. "You should see your face."

"I can imagine," Harry said dryly. "Can you teach me a glamour so I can see if I can do it? After that, the hair coloring charm might be good to know."

Harry found a true glamour hard to cast because he could always see flaws when looking in a mirror, but he knew the spell now and could practice later. For coloring, he went with a golden blond; there was no way he'd go a white blond like Malfoy.

"So you're going out?" Remus asked after the short lesson.

"Yeah, I need a few things in Diagon Alley." Harry noticed that Remus looked like he wanted to say something, but was having trouble. Guessing, he said, "If you have a couple of hours, you can come with me if you like."

Remus gave him a relaxed smile. "Actually, I would, if you don't mind. Oh, maybe this will help too." He conjured a hat and handed it to Harry who put it on. "It's a newsboy cap; maybe not as common in the Wizarding world as the Muggle one, but you'll see them around Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade if you look."

"Thanks!" Harry said brightly and put it on before grabbing his planner from the table. "I need to get my Gringotts key; I'll meet you by the fireplace."

A few minutes later, they were in the Leaky Cauldron and heading into the shopping area, the cap pulled down on his head to cover his scar. He'd also brought his backpack with only an empty money bag in it.

"This may be a bit boring for you," Harry told his companion, "but I need to get some money and talk to someone in the bank."

"What if I go to the bookstore for about twenty minutes and meet you in the lobby?" Remus suggested.

"That's fine. If you would, keep an eye out for a Wizarding Tent; I'd like to buy one," Harry told him.

"I know where to get one. See you in a bit."

"Yeah, later," Harry told his friend before he headed for the Wizarding bank.

Harry walked into the bank and stepped into the shortest line. A few minutes later, he reached the front and said, "I'd like to talk to the account manager," then with a lowered voice added, "for the Potter family."

The Goblin waved a much younger one over and said something in his own language and then looked at Harry. "Follow him. Next."

Harry was led to a small office with an older Goblin who had a large ledger book.

"What do you need?" the Goblin asked in a bored tone, not introducing himself.

"Are you the account manager for the Potter family?" asked Harry.

"For any family. No one is assigned to any one family. What do you need in regard to your accounts?" the Goblin repeated.

"Oh, well, I've never received a statement for my account. I'd like to know when you sent the last one as well as get one now - for all my accounts or vaults or however you do it." Harry hoped he'd find there was more than his normal vault as wars can make things expensive.

The Goblin flipped through the large ledger. "None have been sent because you didn't sign up for a statement. It's ten Sickles a statement."

"I'd like one now and send them to me once a year." Harry thought that would be good enough.

"It will only show monetary amounts and transactions. Any items are your own business," the Goblin said as he set a purple crystal on specific lines in the ledger book before setting the crystal on a stack of parchment. When he was done, he handed them over and said, "I'll deduct the thirty Sickles from your account."

"I thought you said ten," Harry queried, sure that was the amount.

"It's ten per statement; you have three statements. Is there anything else or are we done?" asked the Goblin as if he wanted to be elsewhere.

Harry ignored the attitude and glanced through the statements, seeing his trust vault, the Potter Family vault, and the Black family vault. "Can you tell me who can access to each of these vaults and if there are any automatic payments from them?"

The Goblin returned to the ledger book. "Your trust vault is accessible by anyone with your key. The other two vaults are accessible by yourself or anyone born of the family, though you may not enter the Potter family vault until you are seventeen. There are no automatic payments authorized on any of them, except for your trust vault to pay Hogwarts invoices."

That was fine for the Potter vaults, but not so for the Black vault, he thought. "Please turn off automatic payment to Hogwarts. Also, disallow all access to the Black vault except for myself or my house-elf."

"Done," the Goblin said after a moment of writing. "Is there anything else?" he asked, sounding hopeful there was not.

"No, I just need to visit my trust vault and the Black vault," Harry said rising.

The Goblin rang a bell. The door opened and the younger Goblin was there and motioned him out. The older goblin didn't even say good-bye but returned to work. Harry shook his head and left.

"I need to go to my vault and the Black family vault," Harry told him.

"Key for your vault?" the Goblin held out his hand. When Harry handed it over, the goblin said, "Follow me."

After a rather enjoyable ride in the cart, the goblin opened the door to his vault. Harry pulled out a money bag he'd purchased on a previous trip and filled it up, doing his best to get only the golden Galleons. That went into his backpack. "Can I borrow a bag to be returned to the counter?"

The young goblin grudgingly pulled a bag from the cart and handed it over. Harry filled this one, not caring what went in as long as at least half was Galleons.

They went to the Black family vault next. Harry had to place his hand on the door for a moment. It clicked and the Goblin pulled it open. Inside, Harry saw a pile of money several times bigger than the one in his trust vault. There was also some jewelry and a few boxes of parchment. A quick look showed them to be certificates for various things: ownership in businesses, deeds to properties, old contracts, and who knew what else. He'd have to investigate those one day, but not today. He didn't spare more than a glance at the stuff in the back, saving that for another day since nothing looked obviously helpful.

Done, they returned to the lobby and the Goblin escorted Harry to the counter where money was exchanged. Harry assumed the Goblin came with him to make sure the borrowed bag wasn't taken, as they charged five Galleons for it since it was magical. A few moments later he had several "bricks" of Muggle notes which he stuffed into his backpack so he didn't look to be so obvious in carrying a large amount of money.

Turning, he saw Remus waiting on a bench with a book in his hand and looking at him curiously. Remus joined him as he walked out of the bank.

"Get what you need?" the man asked.

"I think so. I need to get a few Wizarding clothes so I don't stand out so much here because I don't plan to wear my school robes; a tent and trunk are also needed." Harry looked at him.

"Clothes first then." Remus led him to Madam Malkin's which was nearby.

Harry picked out a few sets of casual robes along with the shirts and trousers that normally went underneath. A new pair of boots was also purchased. He wore a set of his new clothes out and put the rest in his backpack.

Feeling better about blending in, he looked at his friend. "I think a trunk is next, and some place that does multi-compartment ones."

"Twill's Trunks then." Remus led him to the entrance of Knockturn Alley; the store was on the corner.

"Robert Twill. What can I help you gentlemen with?" a thin man that was going bald asked when they'd entered.

"A multi-compartment trunk with three or four compartments," Harry said as he looked around slowly. "I need at least one compartment to be large."

"How large?"

"Four by five meters, or larger," Harry replied, noting his friend looking surprised.

The owner looked him over. "That will be expensive."

"What is expensive?"

"Over 500 Galleons, maybe even double that if you get all the options." The owner didn't look optimistic that Harry would take it.

"If it has what I want, it'd be worth it," Harry told him, smiling on the inside at the man's surprised looks.

"This way, I have one sample. If you don't like it, we can custom make one for you but it'll take two weeks extra. This one's outside is teak and it has three compartments. The first is the size of the trunk; the second is double height, useful for storing brooms and other longer items; the third is four by six meters and useful for bulk storage. While we make a model with more compartments, this model has the largest single compartment."

Twill stopped in front of a medium brown colored large trunk with a rounded top and three latches on the front. He opened the first two and they were as he said. He opened the third and there was a ladder that looked to descend into the corner of a room that went out of sight.

"May I?" Harry asked and Twill gestured for him to take a look. After climbing down the ladder and looking around, he called, "Mr Twill, could you join me for a few questions?"

Remus watched the shop owner descend the ladder as well. His mind was still trying to figure out what Harry was up to. Stopping by the bank and even getting Muggle money wasn't too hard to figure out, given they were shopping. A tent was a little harder, but could be rationalized as a place to stay if he had to travel somewhere overnight, though Remus was going to advise against that for his safety. But a trunk with a large compartment, or essentially a room? Remus had no idea for this.

A few low murmurings came to him, but the words were too quiet for him to make out. It was nearly five minutes later before the pair climbed back out of the trunk and the owner closed the top.

"Are you sure, lad?"

"Yes, Mr Twill. You said it'd be ready by Friday afternoon?" Harry asked as the two walked towards the back where a desk was.

"Aye, after one I believe." Twill wrote on a parchment for minute or so while Harry took his backpack off and opened his bag of money and started pulling Galleons out and putting them in a stack carefully counting to ten. After the first stack he started matching that stack as fast as he could. By the time the shop owner finished, Harry had fifty stacks.

Twill handed Harry the parchment. "Did I miss anything?"

Taking a moment to look it over, Harry said, "No, sir, that looks good. Here's half of the amount."

Twill wrote a receipt. "What name do I put on this?"

"Black," Harry said without hesitation. "I'll return personally to pick it up and give you the other half of the amount."

"I appreciate the business, Mr Black." Twill handed the receipt over and shook Harry's hand.

"Cheers," Harry said brightly to the shop owner and led Remus out.

"Harry," Remus hissed when they were outside, "that's a lot of money for a trunk. It might take Arthur Weasley a month or more to earn that much. And what are you going to do with one that big?"

Harry smirked at the man. "I'm going to store things in it. As for the cost, it's an investment that will last me for the rest of my life, however long that is.

"Now, I think I'll skip the tent for now, but can you point out where the store for that is so I can investigate later." Harry was amused by Remus's reaction, and he had no plans to answer all the man's questions.

"It's that way, just beyond Fred and George's place," Remus pointed.

"Good, I'll have to stop by there later too. I'm about to go into the normal world and it'll be boring but you're welcome to come if you like. We should have time to talk; stories about my parents would be appreciated." Harry continued to walk towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"I'll come if you don't mind," the man said after a moment. "I'd like to make sure you're safe."

Harry stopped near the portal and called, "Kreacher, come."

The elf popped in with a, "Yes, master," that was barely respectful.

Harry pulled out one brick of Muggle money and handed the backpack with the rest of his money and his purchases to the elf. "Take this home and put it on my bed, then you can return to whatever you were doing."

The elf disappeared and Harry resumed his walk, pleased the trip had been going so well and he hadn't been recognized, at least not that he saw.

Remus accompanied him into Muggle London, continuing to talk about life as they walked and shopped. An hour and a half later, Harry had some new Muggle clothes that truly fit him, along with a non-conjured newsboy cap, and some new trainers.

Despite how embarrassed he felt, he stopped by the cosmetic department and picked up a small jar of make-up that matched his skin color. The lady who'd helped him was very understanding of him wanting to hide his scar.

They walked back towards the Leaky Cauldron since it wasn't too far way. When they reached its door, Harry turned to the family friend. "I think this is where we part ways. Thanks for the afternoon, I enjoyed getting to know you and my parents a little better."

"You're welcome, but shouldn't you use the Floo?" Remus asked.

"No real need. Later Moony." Harry Apparated away leaving a surprised looking friend behind. He really was pleased with the day, mostly because he could cross a few things off his to-do list in his planner. The stories about his parents and getting to know Remus better were a nice bonus.

After updating his planner and looking at it to plan tomorrow, he wrote out a quick letter to Hermione and gave it to Hedwig to deliver that evening.

* * *

(eof)


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N: Hopefully getting this a few days early works for everyone as I'm going to sit on the beach for a couple of days. :)

* * *

**[Thu - Jul 10]**

The next day shortly after breakfast, an unexpected visitor arrived. "Ginny?"

"Is this a bad time?" she asked. Then with a bit of suspicion she asked, "Is there another girl here?"

"What?! No!" he exclaimed while feeling a bit guilty because that was almost true.

"Good!" she told him with a laugh. "You're too easy to tease sometimes."

He shook his head and hugged her. "I'm always glad to see you, but why are you here? Is something wrong at home?"

"No, it's good there. Mum's away for a couple of hours so I thought I'd come over to the Harry Potter School of Magic."

"Huh?"

"You need to teach me to Apparate, which would make getting here easier." She smirked at him. "You forgot, didn't you."

"Uh," he looked down for a moment. "Yeah, sorry, I did; but we can work on it for a little while if you want."

Her suspicious look was back. "Why only for a little bit?"

"Well, uh, you see…" He decided the truth would probably get him in the least trouble. "Hermione is supposed to be coming over soon. I need to go shopping at a Muggle store or two and I thought she'd be a good guide to find the better stores."

Ginny nodded. "All right, as long as it's only her and not Lav-Lav." They stared at each other for a few seconds before they both burst into laughter as they thought about her brother and his girlfriend for most of last year.

Harry shook his head. "Have no fear of that. Now, come into the parlor with me and we'll work on Apparating.

"Now," he started when they were in the parlor, "the official explanation is to mind the three D's, but honestly, it's really just know where you're going, picture yourself there, and push your magic to go. I'm sure you're parents have Side-Along Apparated you before?"

"Multiple times."

"So think about what that felt like and sort of duplicate it." He conjured a large ring like they'd used in his class and put it a meter in front of her. "Imagine yourself standing in that and go."

"Just like that," she asked a little dubiously.

"Pretty much." He Apparated into the circle and then back to her side. "Easy."

"Right," she drawled and looked questioningly at the ring.

"Ginny, like a lot of other things in magic, or really everything now that I think about it, you have to believe yourself capable of doing it. If you don't believe you can, then you can't." He gave her a serious look.

"Hmm, I guess I can see what you're saying. I never thought about it like that though," she told him.

"Not official theory or anything, but that's the H.P. way," he joked.

She looked at him for a moment before giggling. "All right. Believe and be confident."

"Exactly." He took a half step back and waited.

Her face screwed up and a look of concentration came over her. In a vague way she looked constipated, but he knew better than to say that.

Nearly a minute later, Ginny still hadn't accomplished anything when a voice called, "Harry!"

Surprised, Ginny let out an "Eep!"

"Good job, Gin!"

"What?"

"Look where you are." He pointed at her feet.

"I moved," she said very surprised as she looked down.

"You did it," he praised her again and stepped over and gave her a hug.

A voice from the doorway said, "Really you two."

"Hey, I was congratulating her for a job well done," Harry retorted and conjured another ring where Ginny had started. "She'll show you."

Ginny looked a little embarrassed, but stared hard at the new ring.

After half a minute and Hermione was giving him a questioning look, Harry decided to help his girlfriend along and slapped her on the bum.

"Hey!" Ginny yelled as the crack was dying out.

Hermione started to laugh. "I don't think that's the approved way to teach someone."

"She just needed a little help," Harry said nonchalantly.

"Potter," the red-head groused, "hands off my bum." She paused for a moment before adding, "Until I say so."

Harry smirked at her. "Just giving you a hand. Try again; it should be easier now that you've done it twice."

Ginny rolled her eyes, but looked at the other ring. At the count of ten, she moved to the other ring. "I did it!"

"Congratulations!" Harry told her as he walked over and gave her a hug. "You should practice short distances, like from one side of the paddock to the other, until you feel very comfortable. For now, since you know where the kitchen is, meet me there. Back in a moment, Hermione." He Apparated away.

Ginny left with a crack about five seconds later while Hermione shook her head.

After a tender good-bye to his girlfriend, Harry Apparated back to his other friend. "So, ready to go furniture shopping?"

"Yes, I know where a few good stores are. It'll be good to see some new furniture here. Take my hand," she said, holding hers out.

Harry didn't bother to correct her and let himself be Side-Along Apparated to an alley. Two stores later, he found something he thought would work. With agreement from her, he gave the store her address for it to be delivered there on Saturday.

He merrily marked another task off his list, not that it was getting much shorter as he kept adding things to it. Still, he was making progress. He was also glad he was here and not at the Dursleys where he probably would have been bored with few useful things to do and then have to figure out some way to leave there.

* * *

**[Fri - Jul 11]**

On Friday afternoon, Harry returned to Diagon Alley, his scar covered in make-up and wearing his hat; he also had blond hair again. The trunk was ready and it was as he'd requested. The owner was happy to receive the rest of his payment. With a tap of his wand on a small rune on top, the trunk shrank and Harry put it in his pocket.

He made his way to the bank and was taken to his trust vault. There, he filled his bag again. Then he pulled his trunk out and enlarged it before opening the second compartment. Before he could use a spell he'd found to move his money from the vault into the trunk, the goblin stopped him.

"No spells in the bank!" the short banker barked.

"But you let me expand my trunk," he complained.

The goblin glared at him as if he should have known the answer. "You activated a magical construct, that's different."

Harry considered that for a moment. "Then can you put the gold in my trunk?"

"Of course," the goblin replied and did a hand motion and the stack of coins started to flow into the trunk. At the end, he grabbed the last the last two Galleons. "My fee."

"But…" Harry started then paused as he tried to figure out how to word his complaint.

However, the goblin answered the obvious question. "It's not my fault you didn't bring a self-scooping shovel."

It was hard to hold his retort in, but he managed by a slim margin and considered this a 'lesson learned'. Closing the trunk, he shrunk it and placed it in his pocket, thankful it's weight was constant and proportional to its size due to magic.

He released a little of his frustration by saying, "I'd like to stop renting this vault."

The goblin grumbled, "You'll need to see an account manager," then took him back up to the lobby.

Harry did as asked and fill out the form handed to him by the manager; this goblin didn't look happy either. However, Harry didn't care as he had the Black vault if he needed one before his family vault was available to him.

In the lobby, he changed the entire bag of Galleons he'd kept out into Muggle money, which he put into his trunk.

Last stop was the store for tents. He picked out a small-to-medium one with only a living area, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. He did pay extra for concealment charms though.

Harry crossed more items off of his list, pleased no new ones had been added today.

* * *

**[Sat - Jul 12]**

Harry took the Knight Bus to the address Hermione had given him, which was down the block from her house. He walked the rest of the way and was warmly greeted by his friend at the door.

"It's good to see you, Harry. This is my mother, Emma," she introduced the woman who vaguely resembled her daughter.

"We have a visitor," a man's voice shouted from the back of the house.

A moment later, Ginny walked into the front room and gave Harry and Hermione a hug. "Hello, Mrs Granger." She looked at Harry, "My dad dropped me off in the back garden." She whispered, "Not as comfortable now that I can do it myself."

Harry smiled at their secret from her parents.

"Do you want to see your furniture and will you tell us what room it's going in?" Hermione asked.

"Sure. Where is it?"

"In the garage. This way," Hermione told him then led the way, with the rest following - only her father was missing as he was still out on the back porch.

Harry noticed the garage door was down, making this private, so he pulled out his trunk and enlarged it. Ginny only glanced at it but Hermione was eyeing it carefully.

Ginny looked at the somewhat small and very narrow dining table since it was visible. The rest of the furniture was in cardboard boxes. "It's kind of plain and isn't it too small? I can tell it's not shrunk."

"Not really," Harry told her, pleased that Hermione was letting him show it off since she'd already seen it. "The table has wings that lift, and a support underneath to hold them up." He did that and had a more normal sized table. "Then the chairs come out of the middle. It's all very compact."

"Clever," Ginny said as she looked it over. "Why not just use a shrinking charm on a normal table?"

"Because I need this to not take up much space for longer than most charms last," he told her.

"I'd guess you're taking that into your trunk," Emma Granger said, "but it can't fit. Or is this where magic comes to the rescue?"

"Magic is a wonderful thing," Harry said with a grin. "Let's unbox the rest."

When they had, Ginny looked at the two chairs and a love-seat sized couch. "They are a little odd looking, but I like the light brown." She took a seat on a chair. "A little low to the ground, but comfortable enough. Why did you get these?"

"They're called futons," Harry explained before he went over to the other chair. With a little effort, he unfolded it. "See, they can be turned into beds at night, but be sat on during the day."

"I'm sensing a theme," Emma said with a smile. "So how do you put all of that into your trunk? Because you must have brought it for some reason."

"Right you are," Harry said and walked over to the trunk. He opened the first then the second compartment and showed them. "So normal, then extra deep."

"And the third one?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"Bigger still." He opened the third one and started climbing in and down. "Shrink those one at a time and lower them in please. Then you can come down."

Hermione and Ginny alternated and soon the four pieces of furniture were in. Ginny, then Hermione climbed in and "ooh'd and ahh'd".

"Harry?" Emma called from the top. "Could I ask you to turn around please?"

"Err, I guess so," he said confused.

"Oh!" Hermione looked at him. "You have to turn around, she's wearing a skirt and the room isn't that big."

"Right," Harry agreed and spun to face the wall, slightly pink in the face.

A moment later, Emma said, "It's safe now and this is amazing. It's like a small flat, but portable."

Harry turned back around. "Yeah, that's the point. It wouldn't be comfortable for a long period of time, but if you just had to have a place to stay on, ah … short notice, then you could put the trunk someplace safe, not take up much room, but have the basics for a few days.

"There are places to sit now, a dining or work table as you need it. It came with some cabinets and something like a kitchenette with a small stove and oven, along with a sink." He pointed at the short wall that was the 'kitchen' area.

"How do you do that? The plumbing, I mean," Emma asked as she looked at the sink.

"Err, magic?" Harry said and looked at his two female friends and gave a "help" look.

Ginny rolled her eyes and said, "He's basically correct. There is magic that will bring water from somewhere nearby and clean it before it comes out of the faucet, since it's for drinking. If it was for a toilet or a bath, then it would produce conjured water. For the drains, they go into a small tank that will probably just vanish it since you won't ever use much water. It's not uncommon for Wizarding homes to do that, just like we never run out of hot water either thanks to magic."

"Thanks," Harry said and put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. "If you look through that door over there, you'll find a full bathroom. The door next to it goes into a storage closet. They reduce the space you have here in the main room a little, but…"

"Wow!" Emma exclaimed as she looked in the storage closet. "That's huge!"

"As I was about to say," Harry smiled, "space expansion charms means not all that much space is lost out here."

"Nice bathroom too," Emma said. "I agree, overall it's not big and it would seem tiny if it was more than one person, but I can see how it might be nice if you get stuck somewhere overnight and just need a place to sleep. Magic is very handy."

"This is plan B for you?" Hermione asked.

Harry realized she'd added "for you" because her mother was standing there, despite the fact that it would obviously sleep four, as long as two were willing to share the futon couch. "Plan B or C," he shrugged, "its use depends on the circumstances."

Emma gave him a strange look, but didn't have a chance to question him because they heard "Hello?" from above.

"Down here, Dad," Hermione called.

When he arrived, Emma said, "My husband, Dan Granger. Dan, this is Harry Potter and his marvelously magical getaway trunk."

Dan greeted him and chuckled at his wife. He was also impressed after the brief tour. "It stays just like this even if you move the trunk around?"

"Yes," Harry answered. "The person I bought it from said you could leave a glass of water on the counter, and as long as you latch the lid, you can turn the trunk upside down, shrink it, or do both, then when you put it down and open the lid, you'd find the glass of water hadn't moved or spilled a drop. He said something about pocket dimensions, but that's about all of the explanation that stayed with me."

Hermione eyes lit up. "I wonder if there's a book about this at school?" They chuckled or giggled at the typical Hermione response, which caused the girl to scrunch up her nose in mock disgust at them.

"Dinner should be ready," Dan said. "I took the steaks off the grill just before I came down."

They all headed up, with Emma going last. Harry shrunk the trunk and put the fist-sized object in his pocket.

— — —

"Thank you for the dinner," Harry told them at the end, "it was very good." The girls echoed him.

Hermione had been looking more and more nervous as dinner had progressed. Now, she looked at Harry with a pleading look before she said, "Mum, Dad, there's something we'd like to tell you about, and well, ask of you."

"I'd wondered," her mother said with a knowing smile. "You know we'll support you, though we may have to be creative."

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath. "It's not hard to look at how things are going on around us and based on what's been explained to us by our late Headmaster. It's uh, not going well."

"What does not going well mean?" her father asked.

When Hermione hesitated, Harry said, "Bluntly, we're heading towards a civil war and the outcome is not certain."

"Couldn't you have eased them into it more," Hermione said with a frown.

Harry shrugged. "Didn't see the point; it's going to get worse before it gets better, or so everyone tells me and we've no reason to doubt them."

Dan looked at Emma for a moment. "While we haven't looked at your newspaper every day, this isn't a complete surprise to us. There's a lot of arguing going on in it."

Harry gave their daughter a smug look, who waved him off.

"Dad, Mum, Harry's right when he says it's going to get worse, and well, I'd like you to do something for me, for us really. Would you…" Hermione trailed off and it looked like it was physically hurting her to say it, but she finally got out in a quiet voice, "move out of the country until this is over." Her eyes were closed, not being able to bear the rejection she was sure would be on her parents' faces. She cringed when she heard a chair move, but gasped and her eyes flew open she was hugged by her mother, whom she clung to.

"Hermione, dear, I said we'd support you as we always have and I meant it," her mother said softly. "You're trying to keep us safe, aren't you?"

"Yes," Hermione said with a frantic nod. "I'm afraid they'll come after you to get to us and there's no limit to what they might do to you."

"Honey," her dad said, "you make it sound like you'd be staying. If it's so dangerous, why wouldn't you come too?"

"Because I have to help Harry and he has to stay," the girl explained.

The parents looked at him.

"Sadly, it's true, I have to stay," Harry told them. "Personally, I'd prefer Hermione go somewhere and be safe, but I also know that we have a better chance of doing what we need to end the war if she's helping me. While I'll be very thankful to have her helping me, I'll never be upset if she goes with you. It will always be her choice."

"Where would you have us go?" her dad asked. "Would Northern Ireland suffice should we decide to move?"

"I'd prefer Australia, but I can see the advantage of staying in the UK and at least you'd be off the main island," she answered.

Emma squeezed her daughter's shoulder before retaking her seat. "That would mean selling our business and probably our home too, not to mention other tasks that would have to be done."

"And possibly changing our names," her father added. "Not something to make a quick decision on. How soon would we have to decide?"

Hermione looked at Harry who shrugged and said, "I'd think the sooner the better, by end of summer if possible."

"That's about five weeks from now," her father exclaimed. When no one said anything more, he said, "I'm not happy about this, but I understand you're trying to keep us safe. What if we'd only move if you came with us, Hermione?"

She looked down at her hands. "I don't know. Maybe try to hide you as best I could." She refused to look up at her parents.

"So you have to stay, Harry?" Dan asked, looking at him.

"Yes, sir. I have a task to do to help end the war, or so our former Headmaster said," Harry explained. "I have a very secure house to stay in and these two are invited, as is Ginny's brother, Ron."

"Ah, I remember his name," Emma said. "Ginny, why are you involved?"

"My family has always stood up to dark wizards, or my father says it's been that way for at least several centuries," Ginny explained. "Therefore, anyone in my family could be considered a target. I won't be going back to school this year for that reason. So I might as well help Harry. He's also my boyfriend."

"Really?" Emma asked and received a nod from Ginny and Harry. "And is Ron your boyfriend, Hermione?"

"What? No!" Hermione exclaimed with a slightly horrified look. "He's my friend, and a good one when he wants to be, but I don't really see him ever becoming my boyfriend. We argue too much."

The parents looked at each other for a moment before Dan said, "We'll need to talk about it. We may have some more questions later."

Hermione nodded and got up and left the table taking her dishes with her, her friends followed her example.

When they were alone in her bedroom, Hermione closed the door and said, "That could have gone better."

"But they didn't say no," Harry pointed out, "and I still stay it was the right thing to ask them."

"It doesn't make this any easier though, does it?" Hermione mused.

"Mine won't be happy either," Ginny told her before she looked at Harry. "Before I forget, there's a small party planned for your birthday in a few weeks at The Burrow. You're supposed to be there," she said with a smile.

"Right, I can do that," he agreed. "Are you and Ron still coming over tomorrow? You too, Hermione."

"Yes," each of the girls told him.

"Good, we'll talk about what we'll be doing. Be there at eight, that's what I told Ron in my letter; I also said we'd have breakfast too. I should probably be going," Harry told them while rising.

Ginny stood as well and gave him a short kiss, in deference to Hermione being there as well. "Good night, Harry; see you tomorrow."

Hermione rose and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for coming over and helping me talk to my parents."

"No problem and thanks for receiving the furniture, later." Harry left with a soft crack.

Ginny looked at her friend. "Do you think they will?"

It took a few seconds before Hermione said, "I'm not sure. I think my parents understand, but they also have a lot tied up in their dental office. What did you think of Harry's trunk? I suppose it'd work for an emergency, but I think it would be very cramped with four people living in it."

Ginny smiled, "Sure, with four; but it could be cozy for two."

"Ginny!" Hermione huffed.

The redhead just laughed at her friend.

"Could you answer a question for me?" the brunette asked, serious again. At her friend's shrug, she asked, "Do you know why Harry ignored my prompts and didn't start planning until you asked him?"

"Several reasons, pick one, or maybe it was all of them," Ginny said. "Might have been when we talked about it; I think I shocked him and that started him thinking. Also about timing, while I didn't hear you tell him to plan, I believe that was when Dumbledore was still around, but his task as he calls it wasn't real yet - it is now. Or maybe just because it was me." Her expression turned teasing again. "He usually listen more when the girl also kisses him and threatens to withhold said kisses."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Sure, I'm teasing you, but I think there may be some truth to it," Ginny smirked.

Hermione sighed deeply. "I know you're teasing, but I'll agree there may be a little truth to it. There's probably some truth to all your reasons. Do you know what Harry wants to talk about tomorrow, other than what he just said?"

"He hasn't said a word to me, but my guess is that he wants to talk about what we have to do like he said but in detail." Ginny looked serious now, all teasing gone. "I just wished he didn't have to do this."

"Me too," Hermione agreed.

— — —

Harry went home via a local grocers, one of the large ones. He picked up an entire cart of non-perishable foods. He'd grab a few pots and pans, utensils, plates, glasses, and cutlery from #12 and stick those in his trunk too. He wasn't quite sure how many of these trips he'd need, but he was shooting for a year's supply of food for four to be in the storage closet of his trunk. If they didn't need it, he wouldn't have to buy that sort of groceries for a long time and he could give some of it to his friends as well.

* * *

(A/N: This is the shortest chapter in the story. The action picks up next chapter.)


	4. Chapter 4

**[Fri - Jul 18]**

Not surprising to Harry, Hermione was the first to come over; so they talked about her parents while waiting. Ron and Ginny arrived about ten minutes later.

Harry high-fived Ron before he hugged his girlfriend. "Ginny, would you please start breakfast while I show Ron something? There's a menu on the counter and it's pretty easy."

"Uh, sure Harry," she said, surprised.

"Ron, I got a new trunk; it's in the parlor." Harry led his friend to go see it while Hermione stayed with the appointed cook.

"Do you have an idea for this, because I don't," Ginny said as she started the bacon.

"Other than he's trying to do two things at once, no," Hermione said, sounding like she didn't want to admit that.

About the time Ginny was finishing breakfast, Harry and Ron came back laughing.

"She really asked how you were going to get the furniture in there?" Ron said, trying to control his laughter.

"Yeah," Harry said with a smile. "I thought it was funny at first. After a moment though, I realized she's not seen all that much because Hermione can't do magic at home for most of the time she's been at Hogwarts, so Emma didn't know what was possible."

"Still…" Ron continued to laugh.

"It's not that funny," Hermione said disapprovingly, "and Harry you have the right of it. I've done a little this summer, but not all that much because I'm not used to doing magic at home. I've explained some things, but Mum and Dad have no idea about all the things we're taught and just do without thinking when we're at school."

"Someone get the plates and other things," Ginny called out as she started throwing potholders and trivets on the table and putting the hot pans on them. "Sorry, not going fancy with serving bowls."

"That's fine," Harry said as he handed the plates to Ron to place before grabbing glasses while Hermione went after the cutlery.

They all ate and talked, mostly joking. Harry was somewhat loathe to end this, but they did have tasks to do today.

"Ginny, do you know the spell your mum uses to make the dishes wash themselves?" Harry asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Can you teach us, please?" Harry begged her.

"Sure. Everyone put your plates in the left side of the sink," she told them as she filled it full of soapy water; she conjured water for the right side by saying "_Aguamenti_" then she spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Ginny then taught them the charm and did it. The wash cloth in the soapy water started washing each item, before each item rinsed itself, then settled on the towel.

"Brilliant, now I know how," Harry said with a grin. "Normally, it's just me and that not hard to wash a few things by hand, but this will be good to know when there's more of us."

"Whatever, let's go," Ron said.

"Right, up to the parlor," Harry said brightly, grabbing Ginny's hand as they went, making her smile.

Upstairs, Harry let go of her and said, "Everyone grab a chair. I want to talk about what we have to do and what I think will work best for getting it done."

"I'm surprised you have a blackboard," Hermione said indicating the item on the easel.

"Yeah, bought it a couple of days ago," he replied as he stood in front of them. "So, our number one goal is Vol-"

"Can we call him Tom?" Ginny interrupted. "I prefer that because it makes him more normal and, well, conquerable."

"Sure," Harry agreed and erased the three letters he started and wrote 'Tom R.'. "Before we can get to him, I've already explained that Dumbledore told me we have six items to find: a diary, a ring, a locket, a cup, an unknown item, and a snake." He wrote each as he named them to create a list.

"Fortunately, the diary is taken care of as is the ring." Harry crossed those off. "Through a bit of good luck, Hermione and I figured out who R.A.B. was and Kreacher has retrieved the locket, though it's not destroyed yet." He put a check by it.

"Way to go," Ginny told him before she flashed a smile at Hermione, while Ron said, "Excellent! Who was R.A.B.?"

"Sirius's brother, Regulus. Remember the golden locket we found here while cleaning a couple of summers ago? That was actually it and we all handled it."

Ron goggled at that news, which Harry couldn't blame him for that reaction.

"Obviously, the snake will be with Tom," Harry continued. "However, I have no idea where to even begin looking for Hufflepuff's Cup nor what the unknown item is."

"Surely Dumbledore told you," Ron told him confidently.

"No, mate, he didn't. The most he told me was that he suspected the unknown item was once Ravenclaw's. The snake is also only a guess; he said it seemed to act more intelligently than a normal snake."

"Could the snake be his familiar and that would make it more intelligent?" Hermione suggested.

"Don't know," Harry answered, "but Dumbledore indicated that it was more like a person than an animal. Still, he did say it was a guess so we might have to search for something else."

"But … you really don't know?" Ron persisted as if he couldn't believe Harry.

Harry scowled. "Yes, I really don't know. That means I have no idea how long it will take to find these things. I also don't know how to destroy them either … well, other than one way that's kind of hard to do."

"How?" asked the usually inquisitive girl.

He looked at Hermione. "Basilisk venom destroyed the diary, but that's a restricted substance. I checked not long ago when I was in Diagon Alley in the apothecary buying potion supplies for us. I got an evil glare and told to take my purchases and leave just for asking about it."

Hermione gave a quiet, "Oh."

"What if we went back to the Chamber of Secrets to get more?" Ginny asked. "I don't want to go personally, but what if you went now during the summer? Maybe McGonagall would help and let you in."

Harry just blinked at her. "Brilliant, Ginny." He added 'Get basilisk venom from CoS' to the list.

The redhead smiled very pleased with herself. "Good one, Ginny," Hermione told her.

"So, that's what we have to do, besides the obvious task of staying alive while doing these tasks." Harry sort of meant it as a joke, but no one laughed which he could understand.

"On to other matters," Harry hurried on. "We can stay here. It's not nearly as homey as The Burrow," he nodded at Ron and Ginny, "but it's under the Fidelius and I've changed the wards around the house to keep all but a few of us out.

"While the wards will keep Snape out, my only concern is that he'll bring Tom with him and blast the whole area. If he does, we'll have to leave, obviously," Harry said. "You've seen my trunk with a room. That's an option if we have a place to put it, like maybe if we stay with Fred and George. We'll have a place and not be a burden to them.

"I've also purchased a small Wizarding Tent, sort of like what we stayed in when we went to the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago. That's more comfortable than the trunk, but we'd also have to find a place to pitch it."

"Cool," Ron said with a nod.

"I know some spells to keep people away," Hermione told them.

"Sounds good," Harry agreed, "we can use the tent or the trunk, whichever we think best.

"For the last three weeks, I've kept track of everything I use to make sure we have it or can get ahold of it even during the war. I've also starting buying those things and hopefully enough to last us a year."

"A year?!" Ron exclaimed. "But-"

"Ron!" Harry interrupted him. "I told you earlier, I don't know how long this search will take. Hermione and Ginny," he waved towards them, "have pointed out to me that some things may be hard or even impossible to buy while we're doing this and I'm trying to make sure we have them. However, I'm not buying clothes for you or anything personal like toothbrushes; so you should bring those with you or some money and be prepared to buy them in the Muggle world."

"Seriously?" Ron objected.

"Yeah, seriously," Harry retorted, starting to get tired of his friend questioning him like this. "Any questions on where we're staying or what to bring?"

The girls shook their heads, while Hermione was writing in a small notebook. Ron was gaping at him but not asking a question, so he went on.

"While we're here, and probably even if we have to leave here, I'm thinking our days should go something like this." Harry turned the board around to show a list he'd already created.

"In the mornings, I think we need to spend at least two hours doing school work so we don't get behind. I'll help Ginny get caught up if she needs help, at least in the classes I know. Hermione, can you help in the other classes?"

"Sure, Harry, and good idea," the brunette agreed and smiled.

"Why?" Ron objected again. "We don't need to do schoolwork and there won't be any teachers anyway. I'm glad there won't be homework for the next however long we're doing this."

Harry took a deep breath and tried to relax as he continued to stand next to the blackboard. "Ron, beside the idea that we need to keep up, it's also a way to learn to protect ourselves. You won't have to write essays, but it might be a good idea to at least take notes."

"But we're not in school," Ron continued his objection.

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but at a small shake of her head from Ginny, he took her cue and continued his list.

"Besides school time, I'm thinking about two hours of practicing spells, especially in learning to fight together since we'll need to protect ourselves when we go out."

"Two more hours of learning?" Ron looked horrified while Harry had to work not to snap at his uncooperative friend.

Hermione spoke up quickly, "I've already started a list of spells that could be useful to us, like an advanced shield, the Piercing Hex, Disillusionment, the Bubble Head, charms for disguises, and the Tracking Charm."

"Thank you, Hermione," Harry said graciously. "That will take us to lunch. After a simple lunch, we'll use about three hours to work on our goals, like trying to figure out where to search next.

"The last hour before dinner is time to do chores. For the person who's responsible for dinner, it's making dinner. For the rest of us, it's to clean our rooms, do laundry, or maybe use it to finish something from the morning."

"What for?" Ron voiced confused. "You have a house-elf to do those things."

"A house-elf who is busy cleaning the rest of the house and running errands," Harry countered. "After dinner is free time for relaxation or to finish up something from earlier in the day.

"That takes me to meals. I've been cooking all of my meals because, honestly, Kreacher is a horrible cook. So we'll have to do our own cooking."

"You're joking, right?" Ron snorted in disbelief.

"We'll do it a week at a time," Harry said without missing a beat. "When it's your turn, you'll need to create a menu the week before and it has to be approved by one other person. You're also responsible for cleaning the kitchen that week too. Again, since we don't know how long we'll be doing this, food will not be all you can eat but reasonable portions so we don't run out." He planned to buy food as long as they could, but he now had the stash in his trunk that he hoped would last at least ten months and hopefully a year with rationing if they must.

"Ginny did breakfast this morning, Hermione has lunch in a few hours, and Ron you have dinner this evening," Harry told them. "Consider it a test run."

Ron jumped to his feet. "No, I'm not going to do all of that. And cooking and laundry? Just no, that's for girls to do."

Harry just blinked, not even sure what to say. A movement caught his eyes and he realized he wasn't going to have to say anything. No, it was better to be quiet at this moment.

"Cooking and laundry are for _girls_ to do?!" Ginny growled.

"Are you sure you don't want to revise your statement?" Hermione said quietly with narrowed eyes, and obviously controlled anger.

Ron froze as he looked at the girls.

"Well Ron?" Ginny said as she slowly rose, her right hand moving to the end of her wand.

Unless Ron back-pedaled quickly and wisely, Harry knew what hex as coming and he sincerely was trying to encourage her mentally. He was quite upset with his male friend at the moment.

"Err, you know, just like Mum does it for-" Ron tried.

"_Chiroptera Mucosus!_" Ginny cried as she whipped her wand out and pointed it at her brother. From a few feet away, it really was impossible for her to miss no matter that Ron lunged for the door.

While Ron staggered around trying to slap the bat-shaped bogies away from his face, Ginny waited - still with a determined look - until he turned away from her and then a Stinging Hex left her wand and hit him in the bum. Ron screamed and ran from the room; Ginny just stared at the doorway while looking like she wanted to follow and do it again.

Slowly, Harry walked over and stood in front of her until he saw her eyes track his. He placed his hands on the side of her head gently and kissed her for a few seconds. "That was amazing and it might be wrong of me, but I enjoyed that moment so much."

Before Harry could react, she threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him hard. She was grinning when she pulled back. "Thank you," she told him sweetly before letting go and stepping back while putting her wand away.

Hermione coughed into her fist. "Well, as much as I appreciated you standing up for us, Ginny, I'm not sure that was the best thing we could have done."

Ginny sighed. "Perhaps not, but I'm sure he got the message that he was wrong." After they all chuckled, she added, "I'll go talk to him after I finish cooling down, but he's going to have to change if we're going to really work as a team."

"I was thinking the same thing, about the teamwork that is," Harry said.

"Me too," Hermione added. "Harry, in a small way I can understand one of his concerns. I also had thought Professor Dumbledore told you more about what needed to be done. That was a surprise to me too. Nevertheless, we'll just have to do the best we can. I do like your plan though; I can see that you've put a lot of thought into it."

"Yes, well done, Harry." Ginny reached out and put a hand on his arm as she smiled at him. "I suppose I should go find him. I wonder if he's still here or if he went home?"

"I'll help. Kreacher, come!" Harry called.

The elf popped in. "Yes?"

"Is Ron still in the house?"

Kreacher stood there for a moment, obviously reaching out with his magic. "No."

"Thank you, Kreacher." The elf left with Harry's dismissal.

Ginny sighed. "Right, home it is. I'll be back as soon as I can." She left the room to get some answers.

Harry settled into the chair Ginny had used. "So, where do you think we should search?"

Hermione settled back into her chair and they tried to brainstorm the question.

— — —

A little before lunch, Ginny returned. "Sorry for the wait but it took a while to find him and then get the truth out of him." She sighed and flopped down on Harry's lap, who pulled her over some to make it a little more comfortable for him.

"And?" Hermione queried while Ginny sat there for a moment.

"Sorry, trying to figure out how to say this without making him look like a total prat … or worse." Ginny looked at each of them. "Basically, he hadn't really thought it all through as to what it might be like. I suppose it's sort of the Pureblood way, where all the little things happen in the background and you don't have to worry about them, but I'd have thought he'd have grown past that by now considering how many chores Mum makes us do; but I guess not.

"I suppose I might say he's having something of an internal crisis about the way everything works." Ginny shrugged. "Harry, can I offer a suggestion?"

"Sure."

"You have a good plan. Not only are we trying to take Tom down, but we can't work on that all day long and not go crazy, so learning schoolwork is good because we won't be wasting our time and we'll be learning how to protect ourselves when we have to go out. Obviously, there are practical considerations too, like we have to eat and I don't want to smell any of us in old unwashed clothes."

They all chuckled.

"Ron's really not ready for this like the three of us are. Let him go back and live with my parents; Mum and Dad can teach him. Then to make him feel useful, let him be our guide to the Order - or what's left of it. We can also tell him about non-immediate things we need and he can get them for us to save us time and effort, whether it's him or he gets the Order to help. It sort of makes him a part of the hunt but he doesn't have to deal with the burden."

Harry looked at Hermione as he thought about the idea. "It's not a bad idea; in fact, it borders on brilliant."

"It's very reasonable," Hermione agreed, "but will it be enough? He's our friend, but I'm not going to put up with being insulted all the time, or whining."

"Definitely agree!" Harry shook his head. "He made me more than a little upset this morning and brought back memories of our fourth year at school."

The other two nodded sadly in understanding.

"Have you tested this idea on him?" asked Hermione.

"No," the redhead replied. "I first thought of it as I came back. Didn't think it was my place to decide that either. I can go get him though if you want to talk to him."

"Hermione?" Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"It's actually a good plan if he'll go along with it," she replied, "but I don't know if he will."

Harry looked at his girlfriend. "Why don't you go get him. Tell him we need to talk about a different plan."

He looked at the other girl. "Do you want to cook lunch or dinner? I'll do the other."

"It might look better if you were cooking when he came back," Hermione answered, "but I don't care and will do the other meal."

Harry smiled slightly. "Good point. Go get him Gin and I'll start lunch."

"Back in a few minutes," Ginny said as she stood. "Probably best if Hermione and I stay out of the kitchen for that conversation."

"Probably," Harry mumbled and sighed as he followed her while Hermione stayed where she was.

— — —

Harry was half done with the spaghetti when Ginny returned with Ron in tow. She winked at him and left the room. A sullen looking Ron stood there, not really looking at him. "Have a seat, Ron, I'm not going to bite your head off."

Ron snorted and took a seat and sighed before he lamely said, "About this morning, sorry mate, it was a bit of a surprise - especially the food part."

Harry nodded as he stirred the noodles and then the green beans. The usual half-apology, he thought. "Ron, I get it that we surprised you, but why did it surprise you? You know the ultimate goal and that's not going to be easy. Hell, mate, we might not all make it out of this alive. Please tell me that's not a surprise to you either."

Ron sighed. "I suppose I have considered that, once, but I've not given the whole thing a lot of thought. I mean, none of the other adventures have lasted very long - a day at most."

It was all Harry could do not to goggle at that statement. He helped that by turning back to the stove so his friend wouldn't see his expression of surprise and - as much as he didn't want to admit it - hurt.

Did Ron really think all the trouble they'd had over the years, and even the years before Hogwarts, was a few hours here and there and that was it? No shaming, slandering, bullying, abuse really, from the other students and a few professors; and then there was the Triwizard Tournament and Chamber of Secrets plus being ignored by the adults instead of helping - all for months and even years at a time. Perhaps the actual battles were short, but their 'adventures' as Ron put it were far more then the battles to Harry.

Then it dawned on him: Despite what he'd experienced at school, Ron's life was just too sheltered. He hadn't had to truly grow up and make hard choices, sacrificing to make the goal. The closest he'd come had been at the fight at the Department of Mysteries.

Ginny had grown up because of the diary and probably because she was the only girl in a sea of brothers. Hermione had grown because of being mistreated and bullied when younger, plus she hadn't had magic to fix so many things.

Harry stirred the food again. "Ron, I meant it when I said this could go on for months and I can see now that you really aren't ready to face this yet." As his friend looked up with a little anger, Harry plowed on. "Look, it's all right, you can still help us even if you aren't living here."

"Huh?" Ron's anger turned into surprise.

"What if you were our go-between to the Order of the Phoenix?" Harry walked over to get the plates to set the table. "There are times we'll need things and information but it'll be hard for us to get. It would be helpful if we had someone we could give these tasks to and if it took a day or three - even a week - that would be fine. The point is that we have someone who really knows us and knows what we have to do so when we ask for something, you'll understand and can make them understand to help."

Ron scratched the side of his face for a moment. "I suppose I can see the need for that."

"You won't have to cook or do other things around the house and you won't have to worry about your next meal either," Harry said with a grin, "but you'll still be helping us. Think about it and let me know, all right?"

"Yeah, I can do that," Ron said after a moment. "Since you have four plates, can I join you? That smells good."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, I put the fourth plate out anticipating that. Stick your head through the door and call the girls." Harry put the food on the table while Ron yelled through the doorway.

A moment later both girls came in with a pleased look. In fact, Ginny came over put a hand on his shoulder before kissing him at the back of his jaw and whispered, "Good job." Stepping backward and with her back to her brother, she pulled an Extendable Ear from her pocket so he could see it before putting it back.

Harry chuckled some more as they all sat down. Crisis averted, they ate as set of friends again though the friendship had shifted slightly.

* * *

**[Thu - Jul 31]**

Hermione knocked on his door surprising him. "Hey, what's up?" he asked as he let her in. "I figured I'd see you at the party in a little while."

"I wanted to talk before that," she answered and walked over to the cold cabinet and pulled out a Butterbeer, holding it up with a questioning look. When he nodded, she grabbed a second and joined him at the table, setting a bottle in front of him.

After they'd both opened their bottle and taken a drink, she looked at him very seriously. "Remember those two books I borrowed a couple of weeks ago? I've finished looking at both of them." She pulled them out of her purse and placed them on the table.

Harry looked at the titles on their covers and his eyes widened before he looked at her in shock after he read "Soul Magicks" and "Unforgiveables", each with no author on the outside and each looking very old and possibly handmade. "Err, those were here, seriously?!"

"They're right there, Harry," she mused while stabbing one with her finger and grinning at him for a moment before her expression faded back to seriousness. "They were quite helpful; answered several questions I had. The one on the Unforgiveables could be the basis for several interesting research projects. It also helped in understanding the one on magic that deals with our soul, mostly the Killing Curse.

"However, for what you care about, the most useful information was on how the soul can be expressed using Arithmancy. Based on the equations, the most stable configuration is one, or how we're born. No surprise there as that's how nature intended us to be.

"If you're going to split your soul, which the book mentions but does not give instructions on how, then three parts is the next completely stable configuration, then seven after that. Again, no surprise because three and seven are highly magical numbers. Not that it probably matters to us, but two is just stable enough that's what most Dark Wizards use.

"What is a surprise to me, and a good surprise considering the subject matter," she rolled her eyes at her own lame joke, "is that seven is truly the maximum it can be split - or six fragments plus the last remaining for the person. So we have a guaranteed limit on how many we have to find."

Harry digested that and shook his head. "I suppose that is good considering what we're talking about."

"There is one bit of bad news," she said before taking a long drink.

"What?" Harry felt his mouth going dry from concern, despite having just taken a drink himself.

"There was no indication on if Riddle will feel or know that we've destroyed a fragment," she answered. "I mean, you might want to say he won't as a few parts have already been destroyed, but he wasn't fully in a body so that might have made a difference. I mean, there must be some connection or else the whole idea to hold him here wouldn't work to begin with, so destroying one should send some … indication back to him which we don't want."

"I can see where you're coming from on that," said Harry slowly, thinking it through as he talked, "and I'd agree except that Dumbledore destroyed the one in the ring and Riddle had a body then and he didn't go on a rampage to protect them, or I'd expect that if he ever found out."

Hermione's expression lit. "Oh, good point, I'd forgotten about that." She tilted her head a little. "Did you ever find out how he retrieved that one? You know, what he went up against?"

"No," Harry groused. "When I would ask he'd always say it was a conversation for later, a later that never happened."

"Hmm, too bad," she said with a nod for agreement.

They each finished their drink in contemplative silence.

"Anything else useful in the books?" he asked as he put the empty bottles away.

"Much of the theory was fascinating and I mentioned the potential research projects, but probably not much that you'd care about," she told him.

He looked at the clock. "Just as well you read them instead of me," he told her with a grin. "It's close enough on time, might as well head on over."

"You just want some extra kisses," she accused him as she stood.

"Not the point of going now, but I'll never turn them down," he grinned and grabbed some Floo Powder to travel.

— — —

Harry came out of the fireplace at The Burrow to the usual chaos there. He could hear several conversations in the kitchen nearby. To his chagrin, it was Arthur that noticed him first since he was walking through the room with multiple bowls of food.

"Ah, Harry, can you lend a hand?" Arthur saw Hermione arrive and added, "Hermione, I think Molly could use your help in the kitchen to bring more out."

Harry grabbed a bowl of potatoes and the utensils that had been balancing on the top and followed the man outside. His bowl was added to several others that Fleur was arranging along with the plates and cutlery.

"'Arry!" The other Triwizard champion stepped over and gave him a light hug. "'Ow are you doing and 'appy birthday."

"Thank you and I'm doing well. How are you? Still looking forward to next weekend?" he returned.

"I'm doing very well and yes, I am looking forward to the wedding very much. I'm glad you will be there." She gave him a bright smile.

He supposed he could understand, at least a little, why the French witch bothered Ginny. There was no denying she was pretty and she conducted herself with a casual grace that was hard to miss. While he didn't feel enamored with her, she was hard not to look at. Still, why Ginny disliked her so…

"My apologies for interrupting, but could I have a few minutes of your time, Harry," Arthur spoke up and gave Harry a slightly pleading look.

"Of course," he answered, slightly dreading the conversation, or at least the imagined one he thought was coming. Looking at Fleur, he told her, "Excuse me please, but we can talk later."

"Yes, I look forward to it." Fleur gave him a blinding smile for a moment before returning to her task of arranging things outside. "Over here, 'Ermione," she called to his friend bringing out two more bowls.

Arthur led him over to his shed but didn't go in; he just leaned against it. "I was hoping you could help me with a few items," he said easily as Harry copied him and leaned against the building too. "Ron has told me he doesn't plan on returning to Hogwarts and now Ginny has told me the same thing. While I appreciate not having to spend money for that in this uncertain time, they need their education. I'm bringing this up because they mentioned it was to help you."

Harry just blinked. He was only a little surprised by this, but he was thankful it wasn't the harder topic he'd imagined. "Yes, well, you see Dumbledore gave me a task or maybe a set of tasks to be done for the war. My friends have volunteered to help me, which I really appreciate."

"I see…"

"Dad!" Ron yelled from across the yard.

Arthur turned and held up his hand and told his son, "Hold on," before turning back to Harry. "I suppose it's Ron's choice, even if I do disagree, but Ginny is still only sixteen, or about to be."

And here comes the hard part, Harry thought. "I understand, sir. I tried to get her to stay away for her safety, but she … well, she gave me an ultimatum that prevented that." He squirmed a little, trying to give the truth but not make Ginny look bad either.

"Ahh", Arthur said sagely with a nod, "I had wondered and that's to be expected, knowing my daughter as I do." He gave Harry a fond look. "Her mother had a few choice conversations with me, back in the day. Nevertheless, she is only sixteen…" His fatherly expression returned.

It was all Harry could do not to gulp and tried for a deflection. "I promise to keep her as safe as possible, which I believe will be safer than if she was at Hogwarts."

Arthur nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment before he said in a low tone, "Yes, I suppose I am grateful for her not going there this coming year. I don't think _they_ would do anything to her since Hogwarts is usually considered neutral, but who can say if _they_ would control their children accordingly."

Seizing the comment, Harry told him, "That was her and my concern. If it makes you feel any better, in addition to the other tasks to be done, I've set up a schedule for us which includes a few hours every day for learning the classes we'll miss and I've already told her I'll tutor her for the classes I can while Hermione helps her on the rest. We won't be lazing around."

Her father nodded and smiled a little. "I appreciate that, which probably also explains Ron's decision not to join you as directly now?"

Feeling a little caught, yet it seemed the man already understood what was going on, probably because he knew his children so well. "Yes sir, Ron wasn't as, uh, appreciative of my schedule and restrictions."

"I can imagine easily," Arthur replied with a bit of a chuckle. "Harry, I recently found a set of steel bars about the size of a window in my shed. You wouldn't know where those came from, do you? Ron was a bit shifty when I asked him and he mumbled your name."

Harry wasn't sure how to answer this one, but he was saved by the Mrs.

"Arthur!" his wife shouted, causing them to turn and see that everyone was out and around the table, including a few visitors.

"I believe our time is over." The man clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go have a party."

"I'll keep her safe, I promise," said Harry quickly.

"I know you will; you've already saved her once," he said with a smile that was probably more to save himself from his daughter, who was giving her father a mild glare before changing to a smile as she slipped her arm around her boyfriend's waist for a one-armed hug.

"Sorry I missed your arrival and that you were interrogated," she said in a whisper near his ear before she released him.

"It's all good now," he told her quietly before turning to the others. "Neville, good to see you mate. Luna, I'm glad you could make it." He greeted Bill, Fred, and George also. Molly came over and gave him a hug also.

Harry enjoyed the party, the food was good, but it was the talking and laughing with friends he enjoyed the most. It took a moment, but he finally decided missing times like this was what he was most annoyed with in terms of the war. Voldemort and his group wouldn't leave well enough alone, and this group and others like it would have to give up their peace to take him down - possibly even loosing people along the way.

* * *

**[Sat - Aug 2]**

Harry was a bit peeved, in multiple ways. Ginny had a hand on his back to try to soothe him, but he still looked contemptuously at the Snitch in his hand, the book in Hermione's hand, and the little device in Ron's hand. "What was he thinking?"

"Who? The Minister or Dumbledore?" Ron asked as he tried to make sense of why Dumbledore would give him the Deluminator, while Hermione flipped through the book of children's tales in her hand with a confused look.

"Either, both," Harry said in frustrated tone. "I can't believe the Ministry held onto Dumbledore's stuff and is only now giving us the things Dumbledore left us, and I also can't believe Dumbledore is doing it again to us. He gives us strange clues but never really tells us what to do with them."

"If he'd left us a letter fully explaining, would the Ministry have given these things to us?" asked Hermione.

"A good question, but not my point," Harry huffed. "I suppose I'm just tired of the little games Dumbledore has played in the last year, or maybe for all my life - hard to say on that last one."

Ginny gave him a little squeeze around his waist and a sympathetic look, which he appreciated. "By the way, my trunk is ready."

"Oh, right," Harry replied, thankful for the distraction. "Kreacher, come!"

The elf popped in. "Yes, Master," he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Get Ginny's trunk from her room and take it back to the house. Put it in Sirius's old room and make sure it's made up and ready for her," Harry commanded.

"As you wish." The elf popped away.

"I guess he's not in a good mood based on his surly tones," Ginny commented.

"Not really. I told him I wanted the house cleaner and if he couldn't do it, I'd bring in Dobby to help." Harry smiled at the memory of that conversation. "Kreacher was not pleased, but he is making the house look better. It's becoming a little cleaner and there's less clutter now."

Harry shook his head and tried to not think to think about the elf. "Let's get ready for a wedding."

— — —

During the reception, Harry walked over to join Remus and Mad-Eye, who were talking quietly off to the side. "Sorry to interrupt, but can I ask a question, a favor really."

"You can ask," Moody said in his gruff voice.

Remus gave the man a disapproving look and said, "Sure, Harry. What do you need?"

"Dumbledore gave me a task to do to help with the war." Harry noted that while Remus nodded, Moody looked surprised. "It'd be a lot easier to do so if … _He_ … was a little distracted. Could you and the Order help with that?"

Moody looked interested. "You mean like remove a few followers?"

"That would be so very helpful," smiled Harry in a predatory manner.

Remus looked surprised, but Moody nodded. "Aye, lad, I think we can help you there."

"Please be careful, but I really appreciate it." Harry continued to smile broadly. Seeing the next person he needed to talk to, he threw "Thanks!" over his shoulder as he headed to talk to McGonagall.

— — —

Harry danced a slow number with Ginny, smiling the entire time. "You look really good in that dress."

Ginny smiled back at him. "The color is all wrong for me, but thank you. I appreciate you ignoring the French witches as much as you are."

"Oh, a little jealous, are you?" he teased.

"Ron doesn't own it all." She sighed for a moment. "I'm afraid it's something you'll have to get used to, at least a little. It comes with me like the red hair."

"Yes, the red hair I love so much," he grinned. "I can live with occasional small bouts of jealousy; after all, I have them too in regards to you."

"Really?"

"Really. I can appreciate it and all your imperfections," he told her lightly.

"Much like I see yours and am trying to fix them?" she returned airily.

"Probably, although-"

A ghostly lynx landed in the middle of the dance floor and growled, "The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming!"*

Everyone had frozen and remained so for a couple of seconds, then pandemonium broke out and people started running every which way and some just disappeared immediately.

A loud cry of "Incendio!" rent the air causing a number of shouts of "_Protego!_" including Harry's. The curse wasn't directed at a person, but at the large tent for the wedding. A second cry of the same curse caused a large fireball to be hurled towards the house. More people started disappearing with a crack.

Harry looked around, trying to find the Death Eaters so he could launch his own curse until a mad cackle caught his attention and a spell seemed to singe the air right over his head. "I'm not ready for her yet. We need to get back to the house."

Grasping Ginny's hand tightly, he Apparated them to the back door of his house and hurried in. "We're safe." He looked at his girlfriend, who was extremely pale. "Are you all right?"

She took a few deep breaths. "I think so," she said a little nervously. "That was all so sudden and unexpected."

"Yeah it was-"

"Harry?!" called Hermione's voice from above.

"In the kitchen!"

The brunette walked in a moment later, looking as disheveled as Harry felt. "I'm glad you're all right. I saw you leave as I tried to make my way over and this was the first place I thought you'd go. Now what?"

"I think we'll give it a little time and then go back to see what happened. Maybe arrive down in the paddock and then walk up to be a little safer," he suggested. "What about your parents?" he asked.

"They were having the house packed today to move," Hermione answered as she thought it through. "If you don't mind, I'll go over and tell them to hurry and not stay there tonight. Their trip to Northern Ireland doesn't leave until tomorrow morning."

"Sure, go ahead," he agreed and Hermione left out the back door.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Ginny?"

"Hold me for awhile, please?"

"Sure, let's go up to the parlor where it's more comfortable." He led her up and then pulled her onto his lap on the couch. Neither cried, but it was a quiet and contemplative time.

— — —

Hermione returned and said her parents were fine and were staying at a hotel for the night.

An hour later the two travelled to The Burrow, only to find ash and charred lumber for the house. Arthur, Molly, Ron, Remus, and Tonks were the only ones still there; they were looking around by lit wands and a half moon, obviously searching for anything that could be salvaged.

"Ginny!" her mother gushed and rushed to her, pulling her into a hug, then she did the same for Harry.

"I told you Harry would keep her safe," her husband replied, with a thankful nod to Harry.

"Where will you go?" Harry asked as Molly led Ginny towards what little was left of the house to help them look.

Arthur grimaced. "Probably to Molly's Aunt Muriel's house. Did I see you talking to her tonight?"

"She stopped by and talked with me for a few minutes. She was telling me about Dumbledore." He still was a little peeved by what he'd learned, that Dumbledore had grown up in Godric's Hallow, must have known about his parents and where they were buried, but had never taken him there. A little more tarnish on the old Headmaster.

"Yes, she is part of that generation. I call her Molly's aunt, but I believe great-aunt is actually correct." Arthur shook his head. "Anyway, we'll stay there as it's well warded and a larger place, not that there's many of us now, just the three it seems. Yes, we'll make do," he ended to himself.

It took a moment, but Harry finally realized what the man meant. "You can't go back to the Ministry, can you?"

The man looked at his burnt house for a moment. "Probably wouldn't be good for me and I suspect I'd be sacked anyway. I'll have to send an owl to Perkins with my resignation; he's capable and can take over, though they'll need to find someone to assist him."

He kicked at the dirt a moment. "Probably good Ron and Ginny aren't going back to school; we can use that money for any necessities and it will last us a good long while. I'm sure Molly will start crops in Muriel's greenhouse immediately. Probably need to expand that too." He turned a little to look at something. "Have to get more chickens; maybe a goat or two would be good," he mused.

Harry looked over and saw a burnt spot, the chicken coop he assumed. Miraculously, Arthur's shed hadn't been touched. "Your shed survived," he pointed out as he watched Ron and Ginny help their mother search for things in the ashes of their home. He enjoyed seeing Ginny hoist her long gown up to her knees to keep it from getting dirty.

"Yes," Arthur said brightly, "I had a number of charms on it to hide it so people wouldn't see it during the party, including a Notice-Me-Not. Molly insisted since she thought it an eye-sore. Of course, you can see it because you already knew it was there."

Harry wondered if Hermione knew that one, if not, he'd have to learn so it could be applied to their tent if they ever had to use it.

Arthur cleared this throat delicately. "Harry, if I may ask a favor. Can you help Ginny get a few new clothes? I'll buy her what she needs, but I need a few days to figure out our finances and she can't wear that dress for that long. I'll pay you back next week."

Harry smiled slightly, relieved this problem was easy. "No need, sir. Ginny sent her trunk of things over this morning, so she probably lost the least. We, uh, she had planned on coming with me at the end of the wedding."

"So not at the end of August, as she would have gone to school?"

"Correct," Harry said in a clipped tone, not really wanting to talk about this.

"I see," the man drawled. "Lucky for her then."

"Perhaps we should help them look?" Harry suggested, hoping to end this topic.

"Go ahead; I've already searched and am playing sentry more than anything," Arthur said with resignation and a gesture towards the remains of the house.

There was only a small pile of things salvaged, much to Molly's ire.

After good-bye's to everyone, Harry took Ginny home with him, past a disapproving but not verbally objecting matron. They found Hermione had already gone to bed, so Harry kissed Ginny good-night and showed her to her bedroom while he went to his to clean up and go to bed.

He considered that it was good Bill and Fleur had been married and gotten away unharmed, but he was truly annoyed with the Death Eaters for ruining the wedding. Well, he'd see about making them pay. While he preferred the thought of them rotting in Azkaban, he knew there were other outcomes.

* * *

(A/N: The action has started and so shall the hunt.)


	5. Chapter 5

(A/N: For those keep score, this will be the longest chapter in the story.)

**Chapter 5**

**[Sun - Aug 3]**

The next morning with eyes bleary, Harry made his way to the kitchen and started cooking breakfast.

Hermione walked in, looked around and left. She returned a minute later and started making tea. "Ginny will be down shortly. If you haven't noticed yet, she's not a morning person."

Thinking about it, Harry decided he normally liked the early mornings as they were quiet; but was that really his preference or just what worked when he was at the Dursleys? Thinking back over the last month or so since school and he'd lived here, he still had risen fairly early; but he'd also found he enjoyed the occasional late night too. Whatever, he thought.

Just as Harry started putting food on the table, Ginny walked in, still looking sleepy but otherwise normal with hair brushed and everything. "Good timing, Potter," she said flatly as she sat and pulled a plate toward her.

Harry chuckled, "Good morning to you too," before he took his own seat. Hermione just shook her head and started eating. It was a quiet breakfast; the topic of last night avoided by no talking at all by anyone.

After eating, Harry cleaned up quickly and they went upstairs, going to the library this time. "Class time, so get your things for that. We can work in here. We'll go to the room off the kitchen when it comes time for spell work, or at least for anything that can't be done on a table top."

Everyone agreed and retrieved their school things and worked quietly. Ginny would ask the occasional question, as would Harry, but someone always had an answer, usually Hermione.

After "class time", they worked on spells for practical application. At least for the first day, Harry thought "school" went well.

— — —

After a simple lunch of sandwiches, they all returned to the library where Harry set up his little chalkboard on its easel again - with the same list on it. "So this is still where we are," he said with a hint of annoyance.

"Maybe you should now add the three gifts from Dumbledore too?" Ginny suggested.

"Sure." Harry wrote the three items on the side. "I still don't have any ideas on them." He stopped and looked at his long-time friend. "The book wasn't long and I know you've read it through by now, Hermione. Find anything useful for us?"

The brunette gave him an exasperated look, but didn't otherwise object. "I've only read it through once; but no, I've not found anything significant yet. I also appreciate you two not giving me such a hard time about it as someone else did, Rabbitty Babbitty indeed," she mocked.

Ginny giggled. "Don't worry about it or him. He doesn't think about not everyone growing up like him and besides, Rabbitty Babbitty was his favorite story in the book. I can't tell you how many times I heard it while growing up. He was always begging Mum to read it to him." She giggled again, which made Harry smile too.

"Like Hermione yesterday," Ginny started, "I'm surprised the Snitch didn't react to you, both when you took it from Scrimgeour and later when you touched it to your mouth. I guess Dumbledore must have spelled it closed so something else will open it."

"Yeah, but what?"

"I don't know what else it could be," Ginny told him.

"To get back to the soul fragments, Harry, would you please add a column for where each soul fragment was found?" Hermione suggested. "I'd like to see if there is a pattern there."

"I'll do that. Maybe you should explain to Ginny what you found, about how seven really is magical for what we're doing?" While Hermione explained Arithmancy and souls to Ginny, Harry wrote: "LM" by the diary, then "Gaunt's house", "cave", "?", "?", "with Tom", as appropriate by each Horcrux.

"At least it can't be more than seven," Ginny said with a bit of relief at the end of the explanation. Waving at the board, "I don't see any pattern in where, but we also have two unknowns."

Harry sat beside his girlfriend and grabbed her hand. "Dumbledore said they were supposed to be in 'significant places', at last to Riddle. You know, if I were him, I'd hide one at Hogwarts."

"What?" Hermione objected. "Why?"

"Hagrid always said it was the safest place, except for Gringotts. However, the main reason would be because it's significant to him. It's magical and was probably the first place he ever felt comfortable, at home even," Harry explained.

Ginny nodded. "I would agree from what I know of him," she said before she hastily went on. "Because that's how you feel too, isn't it?"

"It is," he said thickly, thinking back over his six years at the school.

"I'm still not sure," Hermione argued, "but let's say there's one there. We have two major problems. One, how would he have hidden it there because it couldn't have been until after he left school. Two, where would it be? Surely it would have been found by now."

"We all handled the locket, so they can be in plain sight," Ginny shivered.

"Right," Harry said. "As to when, Dumbledore told me he came for a job interview. It wouldn't have been hard to drop it off somewhere along the way. And don't even try to tell me Dumbledore knows everything that goes on in the school," he said pointedly while looking at his brunette friend.

"Please Harry, give me some credit," she said with a bit of exasperation, "I think I'm past that."

"Just making sure," he added with a hint of tease.

Hermione made a face at him. "I'm not sure I agree there's one there, but if we were to search there, we'd have to do it now before school starts. What did Professor McGonagall say when you talked to her at the wedding?"

"When I asked her about coming to visit to get into the Chamber of Secrets again, she said to contact her in a week and she'd help," he explained. "They were locking up the school this week since everyone would be gone. She also said she'd been told she wouldn't be Headmistress but didn't know yet who'd take over. With the change at the Ministry now…" Harry shrugged not sure what else to say.

"They knew it was coming and that's why she was told she wouldn't be Headmistress," Hermione complained.

"Seems reasonable," Ginny agreed. "Did you have a guess on where now that you see the list, Hermione?"

"No," the girl replied with a hint of annoyance. "I'd hoped it'd be obvious. Do you?"

"Maybe," the redhead replied. "Hagrid might be right so if Hogwarts has one, I'd add Gringotts to the list too. Probably should ask Bill if that sort of thing can be stored there."

Harry got up and wrote down "Hogwarts?" and "Gringotts?".

"Of course," Ginny continued, "you'd then have to ask in whose vault. I don't know if Tom had a vault there or not."

"Good question," Harry commented, depressed at the enormity of the task.

"I'd also ask since Tom gave one to Malfoy, could he have given one to someone else?" asked Ginny as she twirled some hair around a finger. "And I think that if he had, there's probably only one person it could be, but finding out will be a real bitch - pun intended."

"Ginny, language!" Hermione all but shouted.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hermione, get over it, especially when she does it on purpose to wind you up."

"But-"

"Obviously on purpose," Harry said, rolling his eyes before looking at his grinning girlfriend. "Sadly, if true that he gave it to someone else, I agree with the who." He wrote "BL?" after "Gringotts?".

"Well," Harry said as he put the chalk down and rejoined his girlfriend on the loveseat, "we have three places to figure out how to search, and maybe we'll get lucky somewhere along the way."

He looked at his girlfriend. "Did Bill say how long they'd be on their honeymoon?"

"A week, I think. So maybe try to contact him after we get the Basilisk venom?" Ginny suggested.

Harry nodded and returned his gaze to the board. No one had any other useful ideas for the rest of the afternoon, but Harry was still moderately pleased. They had ideas and that was progress.

* * *

**[Mon - Aug 4]**

Hermione woke feeling better the next morning, having had a restful day before instead of a wedding and a fight.

Just because, she went to Ginny's room to make sure she was awake and found her bed empty, not even the appearance of having been slept in. Suspicious, she went to Harry's room and found the door ajar. Pushing it open enough to look in, she found Ginny lying in bed and awake and smiling at the ceiling. It wasn't too hard guess why she was smiling.

"It's only the second day and you're already in his bed?" Hermione said in her best disappointed voice.

Ginny stretched and pushed back the covers to crawl out.

"At least you're wearing all of your pyjama's … now," Hermione continued trying to lay on the guilt.

Ginny's smile had not decreased. "Best - night's - sleep - ever. And no, we didn't shag or even start down that path. We just held each other and slept. No nightmares, not even a shadow. I've also never felt so safe. I really should have done it after the wedding."

She beamed again. "He also called me pretty, even looking like this." Ginny put her hands around her face like a picture frame and gave a silly look before giggling. She bounced out of bed and walked towards her room.

Hermione shook her head and followed, determined to find out more. She walked into Ginny's room to see the girl throw the last piece of her pyjama's on the bed as she went to the dresser in just her knickers. "Ginny!" she shrieked and slammed the door shut.

"Really, Hermione, we've seen each other like this before when we shared a room, and I know Lavender walks around your dorm room entirely starkers." Ginny dug in the dresser for a bra and put it on before searching for a T-shirt.

"Well, yes," the older girl admitted, "but Harry could have been walking by right then and seen you through the open door."

"Not sure I'd mind," the redhead said with a grin, "but I know he's fixing breakfast and wouldn't be up here." She grabbed a pair of jeans and put them on. "These have got to be one of the best things Muggles have ever invented."

"Jeans are the best thing?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"As far as what I've seen so far," Ginny told her as she sat down at the vanity and picked up a hairbrush. "I think they make Harry look at my bum more."

Hermione rolled her eyes and then turned to go, but Ginny called her back with a serious tone for the first time this morning. "Hermione?"

"Yes?" She turned around to see the redhead looking at her via the mirror as she brushed her hair.

"Don't you dare say anything … disparaging about this to Harry," Ginny said warningly. "First, it was my idea and I actually surprised him, surprising me a little as most boys would have been pushing instead. Second, it won't go farther any time soon, neither of us are anywhere near ready for that. Most importantly, it helped him too. He also said it was the best night's sleep ever, not even a hint of unpleasant dreams like usual. If I can help him as he helps me, I will."

Hermione stared at her, neither breaking the look between them, Ginny not backing down from her stand. In that moment, Hermione had a revelation. Ginny might have had a crush on the Boy-Who-Lived years ago, but that Ginny was gone and a new young woman had taken her place - one that had been forced to grow up the hard way and knew why she stood by her boyfriend, and it wasn't for some shallow reason. No, Ginny would - literally it seemed - fight for him because it was good for Harry and her good came second, though perhaps a close second.

"I understand."

Ginny nodded and smiled while turning slightly to finish her hair, indicating the conversation was over.

Hermione left quietly, thinking through the conversation again, berating herself slightly for thinking so little of her friend. They were all growing up; sadly, it wasn't in the normal way.

In the kitchen, she found Harry cooking, smiling to himself, and actually humming - the first time she could think of. That made her pause for a moment before she continued forward to heat water to make tea and set the table. "Feeling good this morning?" she asked innocently.

"Yes," he answered with the barest hint of a blush. "Quite well, thank you. You?"

"I'm doing well this morning also," Hermione replied. Grinning mischievously, she added, "I saw Ginny in her room doing her hair. She also seemed to be in a good mood."

"Hmm, well," he started a bit nervously then paused to clear this throat, "it's good that we're all feeling … good."

"Yes it is," Hermione said as she poured the hot water over the tea leaves, and smiled to herself as her drink steeped.

Ginny walked in, still smiling and stood next to him, a hand automatically going to his hip. "Need any help?"

"Maybe the toast, otherwise I got this," he replied.

Ginny patted his hip and moved to start the toast while Hermione watched, sipping her tea slowly. After a few minutes, Hermione decided she would have known something changed if she hadn't found Ginny in his bed this morning, but she wouldn't have known why. She hoped the lithe redhead didn't try to move things along too fast - for everyone's sake.

— — —

After lunch, Hermione went to the bathroom for a few minutes then headed to the library. She was not surprised the two were sitting together, but it was the first time she'd seen them like this. He sat sideways his back against the arm of the loveseat while she sat between his legs, leaning against his chest, his arms around her stomach.

She started to tell them off for goofing around, but then paused as she heard Ginny say, "I can't think of any more meanings for open other than to open something, and I agree something is probably inside the Snitch. So we need to focus on the word 'close' at the end of the phrase. I also don't think it means 'to close' or the action."

Looking at the board, she realized Harry had written the phrase 'I open at the close' that they'd found on the Snitch when he'd touched it to his lips. Deciding to see where this went, she stayed silent in the doorway mostly behind them.

"I agree, not the action," Harry said so softly Hermione almost didn't hear it. That was probably considerate since his mouth was near Ginny's ear. "So close as in near? Or that's how I normally think of close."

"Most of the time," Ginny agreed. "Harry, don't you dare tickle me or you'll be sorry."

"Sorry, didn't mean to."

"There's also close as in close friends, sort of a different kind of near," said Ginny.

"Doesn't work for me. Oh, close as in I'll keep a close eye on you."

Ginny giggled. "Feel free, but I don't think that's it either."

Hermione was surprised. They really were working this out despite their position. She agreed it wasn't going to be the verb, and they'd worked through the adjective and adverb forms, which left the noun.

"Of course!" Hermione's loud exclamation had Ginny and Harry cry out, with Ginny either falling or dumped to the floor, and Harry turned mostly hidden behind the arm of the couch. It would have been hilarious except for the two wands pointing at her. "Err, sorry?" she eep'd out.

"Damn, Hermione, you scared the crap out of me - us," Ginny growled as she got up off the floor and put her wand away.

"Yeah, what was that for?" Harry told her as he put his own wand away and stood to stretch.

"Sorry, but I think I know. You were focusing on the word 'close', but you need the phrase 'at the close'," Hermione explained. "Put that way, it's trying to indicate 'at the end', so 'I open at the end'."

"Whatever the end is," Ginny complained, "but I can't fault the reasoning."

"The end of the war, or maybe the beginning of the end, as in the end game?" Harry guessed.

"Hmm," Ginny started and paused. "Sounds like something my brother would say, but I think you may be onto something."

"Yes, I think you may be right," Hermione said thoughtfully.

Harry smiled and walked out of the room. The two girls looked at each other and each was hoping for this to work.

He returned a minute later with the Snitch in hand. Holding it in front of him, he said, "I am at the end." Nothing happened. "Time for the endgame." Still nothing. "Oh come on," he said as he dropped his hand to his side and complained, "I'm dying here and the thing does nothing."

They all heard a quiet click and Harry's eyes went wide. Raising his hand and opening it, they all saw the seam of the metal shell of the Snitch was opened slightly. "I'm really confused. What did I say that triggered it to open?"

"I'm dying?" Ginny offered. "But if that's true … I think I'm ready strangle Dumbledore with his own beard," she muttered darkly.

"Violence is usually not the answer," Hermione said very concerned, "but if that guess is correct, I might hold him down for you, at least for the first couple of hits."

"What?" Harry looked back and forth between the two girls.

"The more I think about it..." Ginny growled and turned around to face the window, looking out as if for an answer. "Hermione, you better explain it as I think I'm too upset at the moment."

Harry turned to his other friend.

Hermione motioned for him to sit down and she took the spot next to him and laid her hand on his forearm. "Harry," she said softly, "the reason 'I'm dying' triggered it to open is because Dumbledore expected you to die, to sacrifice yourself at the end."

"You're having me on," he retorted.

When Hermione didn't answer, Ginny gave a crisp, "She's not," while still not facing them.

"But why?"

"I don't know _**why**_ he'd want that, but his goal is clear," Hermione told him. "Think of all the things that happened at school. You stepped up and protected others, every time. He's expecting you to do something like that here too. I wouldn't be surprised that he thinks you can't defeat Riddle but you could if you died at the same time."

"If I took him with me, you mean."

"Yes." Hermione looked at him, watching him as she said, "Also think about all the times you were bullied at school, when the teachers did nothing."

"Snape. Malfoy. Umbridge. Most of the school in second and fourth years too." Harry paused. "Then there's how my relatives treated me."

"I can't prove it, but I think he allowed that so you'd feel everyone else was worth more than yourself, so you'd automatically sacrifice yourself when the time came." Hermione moved her hand to his shoulder as he looked down.

"Yet more tarnish…"

"What?" Ginny asked as she finally turned around, her fists still clinched.

"I said yet more tarnish." Harry sighed. "I've been noticing lately that the more I learn about Dumbledore, the less about him I like. I suppose I still respect him, but I'm finding he's done a number of things that cause me not to admire him as much as I used to."

"Don't tell my mum," Ginny quipped, causing them all them smile and lightening the moment. She forced herself to relax and walked over and enveloped Harry in a hug, firm but not too tight. "I'm so sorry all of this has happened to you; it's so very much not fair."

"Thanks," he told her appreciatively and then kissed her on the cheek. Turning, he told Hermione, "Thanks for your support too."

Hermione gave him a big smile. "Of course, Harry, we're friends."

Ginny pointed to the Snitch that was still in his hand, "What's in it?" she asked.

Opening the shell of the Snitch, Harry saw a black stone with a crack or maybe a deep line down the middle. He didn't recognize the symbol. "A stone of some sort."

He held it towards Ginny since she was the closest. "Hmm, that looks familiar but I can't quite place it," the redhead said.

Harry turned to his other side and held it out towards Hermione. Hermione gasped. "I know what it is. That symbol is in the book Dumbledore gave me." She looked up at the two of them. "I think I know why he gave me the book and you this stone."

"Why?"

"Go get your Invisibility Cloak," Hermione told him, "I need to go get my book." She leapt up and hurried out of the room.

Harry looked at his girlfriend, who was looking a little shaken. "Ginny, are you all right?"

She shook herself. "I'll be fine. I think I know where she's going with this and I'm … so very surprised. Go get your cloak so we can find out if she's correct, though I'm fairly sure she is."

Harry nodded, setting the stone down on the table they had.

When he returned, Hermione was with him and she was flipping through her book. After making him sit, she thrust the open book at him. "Read this story, while you're doing that, I'd like to examine your Cloak."

Harry shrugged and made the trade. He started reading and noted that Ginny was looking over his shoulder to refresh her memory. It wasn't a long story and the symbol with the combined line, circle, and triangle was shown with the story - the same symbol that was on the stone.

"So you think…" Harry started but couldn't finish.

Hermione held the collar of the Cloak in front of him, and the symbol - sown into the fabric - was visible if you looked for it, but hard to see otherwise. "You said this came from your father?"

"Yes, that's what Dumbledore told me," he confirmed.

"I heard Professor Moody once say that these don't last more than about ten years or so, normally. Therefore," Hermione looked at him triumphantly, "this is not a normal Invisibility Cloak. With it and now the Stone, you have two of the three Deathly Hallows.

"I'm sure he gave me the book to help you figure these out. He gave you the Stone to," she paused and her expression turned pinched, "get some moral support at the end, maybe even to encourage you to go through with it. Dumbledore might have even hoped you'd call him and he'd have definitely encouraged you to do it."

Ginny's arms went around him again, holding him tightly.

"Thanks," he told his girlfriend quietly. Taking a moment to think, he said, "That almost makes sense. The people I'd obviously try to talk to first would be my parents, who'd tell me they…" He choked up and couldn't finish.

"That they love you and support you," Ginny finished softly, causing Harry to nod.

"If you don't mind, I'd still like to do that," Harry said as he picked up the Stone.

Ginny have him a smile and a nod while Hermione said, "Of course, but we don't know how to use it."

Holding it in his hand, he looked up at her. "I can feel how." Without explaining more, he turned it over three times in his hand and looked up - shock and then pleasure easily visible.

"Is it working?" Hermione asked.

"Mum? Dad?" Harry rose and just gaped. After a moment, he asked, "You don't see them do you?" He saw both girls shake their heads. "They look so much like the pictures I have of them, except a few years older."

(Hello, Son, you're doing well considering. I'm really proud of you.)

(Oh Harry, we love you so much and we both are proud of you. Sorry, you can't touch us.)

Harry started to reach out and then stopped. "Right." He took a deep breath. "I understand now why this is so hard."

(You shouldn't do this often. I'm not as fond of Dumbledore as I was when I was living, but he is correct to say it doesn't bode well to live in the past.)

"I'm not very happy with him either," Harry said a little bitterly. "I've been finding out some things, things he's done to me that I really don't like."

(Harry, I want to give you some advice, will you listen closely?)

"Yes, Mum."

(I know Dumbledore has wronged you in a number of ways, a few severely, like leaving you with my sister. However, I don't want you to dwell on that. Please learn from it, but don't dwell on it. If you do, it will only lead to bitterness and possibly worse. Learn from it and move on.)

"That'll be hard, very hard in some cases."

(I know it will, Son, but your mother is correct. Now, I want you to think about something very carefully, as you have an opportunity to fix a problem you have. Since you have this stone, you know what you need to do, right?)

"I, err, no - well, maybe. Would he really answer my questions?"

(He has to honey. If you summon him, he has to come and he has to answer honestly. He doesn't have to volunteer information like we would, so be careful to ask about everything you need to know, but he has to answer truthfully.)

Harry grinned. "That gives me a few ideas."

(Also, there are some things we can't answer, but if you ask about that, you'll be told it's not allowed.)

"All right. Is there anything else I need to know before I let you go?"

(Yes, honey, one more thing. You've made some good friends, do right by them and stand by them. Your father and I regret not keeping closer contact with Remus. You don't have to do that for our sakes, but be sure you appreciate and keep up with your friends. The two beside you are your best friends and I approve of both of them heartily. Your other friend who had trouble with staying here just needs some extra time and patience. He's your friend, Harry, don't lose him even if it may be hard to keep the friendship going.)

Harry looked down for a moment. "I understand and I'll try." He looked at Ginny who was watching him with a calculating expression, obviously trying to figure out what was going on since she could only hear half of the conversation. He put a hand on her head and caressed it lightly. "And this one?" He saw her blush at the question.

(Yes, honey, I approve of her too. Truthfully, either one would work for you, but if she has your fancy, then pursue her. Just take it slowly so you don't hurt her or yourself.)

(Son, one of many contradictions you'll find in life is that girls are both amazingly strong and yet amazingly fragile. Love her and take care of her, and you'll have a wonderful life, even when life throws horrid things at you, like Dark Wizards. Cherish her, Harry.)

"Thanks, Mum, Dad," Harry said, finally losing control of himself with a sniffle.

(We love you Harry and can't wait to be with you, but please make it many years from now.)

"I love you to, Dad, Mum." He put the Stone on the table and they disappeared. Not being able to stop it, he sank to the couch and started to cry quietly, not afraid of what his friends would say.

Ginny reacted only slightly faster, but each girl sat beside him putting her arms around him as best they could and did their best to comfort him for some time.

Eventually, he pulled his emotions back in and found his composure. "Thanks, I needed that."

"It sounded like it went well, based on your reactions and what you said," Ginny told him.

"Yeah, it was really great to talk to them," he smiled fondly. "I also understand the danger of the Stone. I don't think I'll be using it to call them again any time soon; although, maybe I'll call Sirius once also - later, like next week after I've had time to properly deal with this conversation."

"What ideas did they give you?" Hermione asked. "Something good, I hope."

Harry gave a bit of an evil grin. "Oh, brilliant ones. I'm going to fix one of our biggest problems and it should shorten the war by months."

"What?" both girls asked at the same time.

"Well, I'm getting a little hungry, so we're going to take a break for dinner and then I'm going to summon Dumbledore." He smiled at their gasps. "Mum told me whoever is called has to answer honestly. They don't have to volunteer information, but any answer they give me will be truthful."

"Hmm, sort of like using Veritaserum," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Yes, very useful for getting information we weren't given."

"Exactly," he agreed.

"Brilliant," Ginny agreed too. She looked at him shyly and asked as if afraid of the answer. "At the end…"

"Don't worry," he told her, "they like you." He enjoyed her beaming smile.

— — —

After dinner, they returned to the library, their general workroom now. They had a small fire going in the small fireplace, were full from a good dinner, and were comfortable.

Hermione joined them last, carrying a long roll of parchment and a quill Harry hadn't seen before. "What's that?"

"It's a Dict-o-quill, Harry. I use one sometimes when doing research. It records everything spoken in its presence, so if you will repeat what you're told, we'll have notes for this session," the brunette explained. "I would have suggested it for the conversation with your parents, but I was too shocked at the time and it was also probably a more personal conversation."

Harry blushed slightly. "Yeah, definitely more personal in places." He looked at each of them. "They said they approve of each of you as my friends." He grabbed Ginny's hand. "They also approve of us."

Ginny beamed at him again. "That's good to hear. If you didn't know, Dad approves of you and Dad says Mum likes you, though she's not likely to say that directly until we're older."

Harry squeezed her hand and let go. "If you have any questions, ask and I'll make sure he answers. Ready?" He looked at Hermione who touched her wand to the quill, which jumped up and hovered over the parchment. "Testing," he spoke and watched the quill write that.

Turning the Stone three times in his hand, he called, "Albus Dumbledore." He was rewarded with the appearance of the old Headmaster, who looked a bit younger than when last Harry saw him.

(Harry, what a surprise. It appears you're in Sirius's house. Are you about to go fight Tom for the last time?)

Doing his best to keep his parents advice in mind, he gave a neutral, "Dumbledore." He looked at the girls. "He wants to know if I'm about to go fight Tom for the last time." Turning back, "No, not even close, I'm just starting the fight from my side."

Harry chuckled after listening to the older man. "He thinks I shouldn't have been able to open the Snitch. Well, your spell on it just required me to say that I was dying or ready to die or something like that. It's really sort of amusing. I was prepared to figure out where all the Horcruxes were first then consider your 'gift', but Ginny suggested we spend one session on deciphering the clue on the Snitch now in case it was helpful. Between the three of us, mostly Hermione to give credit where it's due, we solved it. Now," Harry grinned broadly, "we'd like what we couldn't get when you were alive - answers."

"Stop right there, I am not your boy," Harry said angrily. "Apology accepted if you'll not do it again."

"Yes, I understand, because the girls explained it to me, that your intention was for this not to be used until the end, until I was ready to sacrifice myself to save everyone, but that's not the way it will be. So why don't you start by telling me why you wanted me to sacrifice myself."

"In more detail please, saying because it needs to happen isn't good enough."

"What?!" Harry shouted.

"Harry?" both girls jumped to his side.

"He says I'm a Horcrux, my scar is a Horcrux," he said hoarsely and in denial.

"It is not!" Hermione roared. "It can't be unless you lied about the others." She fumed as she waited for an answer.

"Answer her!" Harry barked.

He snorted. "He says I'm an unintentional one, that Tom had splintered his soul so badly a piece broke off and attached itself to me."

"Not possible unless he lied before, Harry. Remember what I told you about the max being seven," Hermione said through gritted teeth. "I've proved it with Arithmancy."

"Have you proved it otherwise?" Harry asked and then shook his head. "He says he's never proved it because there is no equation for this, but he knows he's correct."

Hermione gave a guttural yell and stomped out of the room.

"Ooh, he's done it now," Ginny said softly.

Harry looked at her and chuckled softly. "Yeah, he's about to get an earful.

"So while we're waiting, Dumbledore, I have the locket now. Nagini will be with her master, obviously. Any ideas on where Hufflepuff's Cup, or the thing from Ravenclaw might be?"

"He says no."

Stomping came from the hallway, so Harry waited. "You're in for it now," he said with chagrin and a smirk, causing a giggle from Ginny.

Hermione stormed into the room and held up a book. "This book, which was in this house, and therefore you could have read it, clearly states the soul can be split but it also says there are hard limits. It then gives the equations to show that." She slammed the book on the table and opened up a notebook.

"Here," she flipped to a page plus showed several more. "It took me over two days and five pages of math to prove it was possible to split it seven times and no more than seven. If stupid wizard were to try it again, he'd essentially kill himself, or at least _**that**_ fragment would die and disappear. The equations don't say it, but I believe if that happened, then all the other fragments would follow - although that is neither here nor there since we aren't in that situation. Well?!"

"Just answer her," Harry said with a shake of his head. "You know you have to answer me and it'll save time if I don't have to repeat it all."

"Uh-huh, right," said Harry after a long moment.

"What did he say?" Hermione asked, still upset.

"In summary, he doesn't know, has never seen that book, and in general doesn't have a clue, yet insists he knows better. You don't want to know his exact words as I find them insulting." Harry watched his very intelligent friend huff before she turned and sat on the couch, arms crossed in front of her chest, her posture ramrod straight. Harry understood, a man she'd admired had basically told her she was wrong with no proof, and she seemed have taken it as if he'd said "worthless" - which he essentially had.

Ginny whispered a suggestion in his ear.

"Right, good one. Dumbledore, the Stone was to help me at the end. What was book to Hermione for?"

"We were right, it was to lead her to the Deathly Hallows." Harry listened to another whisper from Ginny. "Dumbledore, do you know where the Death Wand is?"

Harry sighed. "Don't tell me some story. Do you know where it is or where it's supposed to be? If not, do you now who last had it?"

"Oh really." Harry grinned. "Dumbledore was the last owner and it's supposed to be buried with him."

Ginny squealed quietly while Hermione said, "That would be really helpful in your fight against Riddle."

"Yes - it - would," Harry said with a big grin. "Dumbledore, if the school is in lock down, can we still get onto the grounds? Ha! He said we could because only the castle is in lock down. I know what we're doing tonight then."

"Harry, are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Hermione with hint of worry.

"Yes, I think so." He turned back to his visitor. "That's all for now. I have a lot more to ask about, but I think I'll follow my parents advice and leave it alone, otherwise I might become very angry with you."

"Yes, yes, the greater good, but who said you were in charge of deciding what was good for me? Hmm? Go for now." Harry put the Stone in his pocket and sat down on the couch with Ginny joining him. "I still respect him, but he's definitely not the shining example I once thought he was."

"It's rare to find someone who lives up to all of our expectations," Hermione commented, "and probably impossible if we know them well."

"Well, my feelings on that don't matter for the moment, what does matter is going to get a certain wand." He looked at his girlfriend. "Do you have your broom?"

Ginny seemed to deflate. "No, sorry, I didn't think about bringing it."

He looked the other way.

"You should know better than to ask me," Hermione gave him a disapproving look. "You know I don't like heights and so wouldn't own one."

"Hmm, Kreacher, come!"

"Yes, Master," the elf said after he popped in.

"Are there any working brooms in this house other than mine, you know, for flying?" Harry asked hopefully.

Kreacher looked pained, but he answered, "Master Regulus's is here."

"That will have to do for the moment, please bring it." Noting the elf's expression, he added, "I promise we'll be careful with it."

The elf left and returned very quickly, holding the broom out until Harry took it and then the elf popped away.

"You'll have to be careful with it so we don't get on his bad side," he said as he gave it to Ginny.

"Wow, a Comet Trailblazer; they didn't make many of these and it was supposed to be really good back when it was made." She grinned at him. "Not like your Firebolt, but still very acceptable."

"Sirius once told me the Blacks rarely did things by halves." He looked to the other side. "Are you coming?"

"What's the plan?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Harry leaned forward and became more animated. "Apparate to the Shrieking Shack and use the tunnel to enter the grounds. Go to the tomb and take the wand, doing our best to make it look like no one's been there. Then fly to the Forbidden Forest, stay a bit above the tree tops until we get back to the Shrieking Shack and Apparate back."

"Easy-peasy," Ginny stated with a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Except that it could be hard to get into his tomb, you don't know how they sealed it. There could also be someone on the grounds. Lastly, how am I getting there since there are only two brooms?"

Harry rolled his eyes at her to tease her. "We will be careful and scout along the way. I'll also take my Cloak. We can abort if it looks unsafe. As for the tomb, I'm sure we'll figure out something. For travelling, you can ride behind me, then you don't even have to look. You can shut your eyes the entire time if you like."

"No wild moves," she demanded.

"I promise," he agreed. "Go get changed; wear something black or very dark."

"Harry, you do realize that if you have all three parts, you'll be the Master of Death. What if that requires something you're not prepared to give?" Hermione's gaze bore into him.

"I don't believe that will be true; but if so, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." He grinned at her. "It can't be worse than having Riddle after me, can it?"

— — —

Ten minutes later Harry was inspecting his troops. Two hair coloring charms ensured they all had dark hair to hide better. The Cloak was around his waist and the Stone was in his pocket.

"Meet us inside the shack." Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and they were gone. A moment later, Hermione joined them and the trio headed for the tunnel. Eventually they arrived at the Whomping Willow.

Harry stuck his head out of the hole in the tree and looked around. "Don't see anyone or anything I don't expect," he whispered. "But there is one more thing to do." He pulled back inside the tunnel and lit his wand, showing the Marauder's Map he'd pulled out.

"You should have pulled that out sooner," Hermione complained testily.

Ginny snorted, "At least he remembered; I'd forgotten about it." She looked at the other girl.

"Fine, I'd forgotten too."

"Good for me then," Harry said good-naturedly. "I don't see anyone, not even Hagrid. So, run or fly low?"

"I vote for fly low and fast," Ginny said quickly.

"Of course you would," Hermione said sourly. "I don't care, let's just get this over with. I have a bad feeling, but at least the full moon isn't for another week."

"I think we can fly out if we're careful, so let's mount up. Ginny, you're first. Hit that knot," Harry pointed, "when we're ready then go. We'll follow you."

Ginny mounted her borrowed broom. "Have to lean over as much as you can to fit out, I think. Ready?" She had to wait a moment for Hermione to get settled. She would have preferred to be behind Harry, but she fully understood why the arrangement was like this.

When Harry nodded to her, Ginny put her broom in the opening and hit the knot. As the tree went slack, she urged the broom forward accelerating as fast as she could. It was a good broom and she wanted to whoop in delight but managed to hold it in. Looking back, she saw the pair was out of the tree and following. She looked forward again shifted her path to avoid an upcoming tree and up a small hill while also staying about a meter off the ground. This was great, she thought.

All too soon for her, she came to Dumbledore's tomb and stopped as fast as she could on the backside, so the tomb was between her and the castle. Kneeling, she waited.

Harry arrived shortly after and Ginny had to help pry her female friend off.

"I do _**not**_ want to do that again," Hermione whispered adamantly.

Harry grinned and shrugged as he looked at Ginny, who grinned back. "Now, the hard part. Ginny, you keep watch. Hermione, you're up."

"Why me?" she complained quietly as she crept forward. "This was your idea."

"I thought you'd do this making the least mess," he explained just as quietly. "If you prefer, I'll cut a hole in it then repair it when I'm done."

Hermione huffed, "Hold on." She did a few spells and the top suddenly slid a meter to the side.

"I knew you could do it." Pointing his wand inside, Harry summoned the wand. He had barely caught it when Hermione started a gurgling sound as the moon that was giving them light seemed to disappear.

Spinning to look at what had happened to the moon, Harry now fully understood why Hermione was making incoherent noises and why Ginny was probably speechless as he hadn't heard a sound from her.

Right behind them was a being as tall as Hagrid but as thin as Harry himself and he was in an absolutely black cloak that seemed to absorb all light. He also had a black staff that seemed to somehow shine in the dark, with the only explanation for that improbability being "magic".

He fell on his bum since he'd been squatting and stared wide-eyed at the figure. He had trouble forming a coherent thought, which was why he hadn't pointed the Elder Wand at it/him/her. As rational thought started to return to him, he intuitively understood pointing that wand, or even any wand, at "him" would be a very bad idea. He wasn't even sure how he knew the figure was a him, but he did now.

"You are the first to unite them, little one," the being rasped. "Now that you have summoned me, what shall I do with you?"

Harry gulped. He'd just had to tempt Fate earlier, hadn't he. Not only was he at a loss as to what to say, he also wasn't sure if the being was scarier because the opening of the hood of the cloak was completely black or if it would have been worse with red eyes or something.

"I - I -" Harry glanced and saw that both girls seemed be utterly frozen in shock, not that he felt much better. "W…who are you?" That was almost intelligent, he thought.

The being banged his staff on the ground and a long silver blade came out of the top, perpendicular to the shaft, changing it into a scythe. Damn it, Hermione was right again, he thought.

A noise on the other side of the tomb caught his attention. "Err, this isn't the best place to talk and people could come along at any time. Could we meet you somewhere else, say in five minutes?" This must have been the Gryffindor in him it was so audacious. Here he was bargaining with someone who could kill him far easier than Riddle could, or so he expected.

After a moment, the being said, "Go where you wish. I will find you wherever you are in your time." He disappeared in a wisp of black smoke and the moon was suddenly shining on him again.

Next he knew, Hermione was slugging him in the shoulder repeatedly. "I told you I had a bad feeling about this. I told you something could happen that you're not prepared for."

He caught her arm after the fourth hit. "Fine, you were right, I admit it. Now can you put the top back and seal this thing so we can get out of here?"

She jerked her wrist out his hand and two quick spells later the tomb looked like it had before they came.

Harry looked at Ginny and thought he'd never seen her so pale, not even after the Basilisk. He really couldn't blame her. Honestly, he wasn't sure how he was even functioning right now - probably on pure adrenaline he assumed.

Looking over the top of the tomb one more time, Harry didn't see anyone. "Get on behind me, Hermione. Ginny, follow me. I'm going to the cave Sirius stayed in. It's close and should be private enough."

Hermione climbed on though she hugged his middle so hard Harry had trouble breathing, and he wasn't about to help matters. A glance showed Ginny was ready so he took off. He thought it pretty gentle, but he was sure Hermione thought the 45 degree angle he was climbing at wasn't.

He felt better as he reached the forest and turned for the hills above Hogsmeade, their feet just above the tallest trees. He didn't have too much trouble finding the cave and landed just inside with Ginny landing practically beside him and dropping her broom. She immediately threw her arms around his neck and hid her face in his chest.

"Hermione, it's me he wants to talk to. You can leave and go home if you want; you too Ginny." His girlfriend stubbornly shook her head and gripped him tighter.

"I don't know, this is a little interesting. You don't meet Death every day and live to tell about it, plus you should be his Master so you can tell him to leave us alone and he has to," she replied.

This is why she was in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw, Harry thought.

The moment of decision was taken from them as the tall figure appeared right at the cave's entrance, causing all three of them to take a few steps back further into the cave hurriedly. The scythe was twirled in a blur and ended stuck into the ground, despite it being solid rock. The blade now with dancing flames on it gave them a little light.

"Now we can talk and not be disturbed," _He_ rasped again. "This time is our time and no other.

"You," _He_ pointed a long ultra-thin finger at Harry, "are a descendant."

_He_ looked at Hermione. "You are an innocent - sleep." Hermione fell to the ground as the finger moved down, obviously commanding her body. "She will wake at the end."

His gaze turned to Ginny. His finger moved toward her and she tightened her grip on Harry. "You have been touched and yet overcame." _He_ seemed to nod. "You may stay or sleep, decide."

The first try was silent, but the second sounded almost normal for her, except for the quiver. "Stay."

_He_ nodded and returned to Harry. "Why do you have all three? They were never meant to be held by one."

"I, uh," Harry paused as he finished gathering his wits. "I'm trying to remove a Dark Wizard."

"Noble," _He_ rasped, "but not enough."

"This one is extra hard," Harry tried again. "He split himself and we're trying to find all of his soul fragments." Part of him didn't want to say that secret, but it wasn't as if the being didn't know it couldn't be done.

"Ah, one of the partial ones; I have a room of those." Death gazed at him, though Harry wasn't sure how he knew since the face area was still completely black. "His name?"

"Tom Riddle, Tom Marvolo Riddle," Harry replied.

Death tilted his head slightly. "Ah, him. I received a part of him recently. By your hand?"

Harry thought about that for a moment. "That was probably done by my Headmaster, if was about a year ago. I have another part at home, but I don't know how to, uh … send it on."

"My wand can do it. Show it to me," _He_ demanded.

Carefully, Harry pulled out the newly acquired Elder Wand and held it by his thumb and one finger, pointing up.

Death stared at it for a moment. "It is not tuned to you." His long thin finger reached out and touched it. "Now it is."

Harry felt a warmth and a tingle from it. "Err, thanks."

"You may keep and use them until you send the rest of this partial one to me or you die; then I will return and retrieve them." _He_ paused for a moment. "Or maybe I will let you keep them for a short while, if you live and meet my expectation."

"Why can't I tell you to let me keep them?" asked Harry.

The being straightened a little and the cave seemed to grow colder by a few degrees. "Why do you think you can tell me to do anything?" In the silence that followed, his rasp turned into a gravelly roar. "_Answer me!_"

Harry felt totally compelled to answer, far beyond Riddle's Imperious. "B-because she," his hand twitched in Hermione's direction, "said I'd be the Master of Death if I had all three parts and she's almost never wrong."

As he waited for a response, wondering if he was about to die, he finally realized Ginny was now clinging to him so tightly it was hard to breathe. He had to give her credit though because she wasn't hiding her face, but was looking between him and the being.

After long enough that Harry thought he might pass out from not breathing while he waited for the response, the being started to make a hissing noise that was not Parseltongue and _He_ was shaking slightly as the hood of his cloak seemed to look between him and Hermione. This went on long enough that he realized Ginny had relaxed her grip on him and she'd shrugged when he looked at her.

Eventually, Death seemed to return to normal and addressed him again. "That was the most amusing thing I've heard in centuries, and therefore I won't slay you where you stand. Because you have amused me, you may ask one question of me. I will not answer some questions. Use it wisely."

Harry looked at Ginny, who just looked back at him. Looking at her face, he realized finally what he should ask. He wanted to ask where all the remaining Horcruxes were, but didn't think that question would be answered. "My scar, what is it? A soul fragment from Riddle or something else?"

Death leaned forward, the cowl of his cloak less than the length of Harry's arm away. After a short moment, _He_ reached out and seemed to stick a thumb and a finger into Harry's forehead and pull something out, though Harry didn't feel a thing. The _thing_ wiggled a little while Death inspected it and then let it go, allowing it to vanish in a wisp like a vapor. "Only an echo, not a part."

_He_ stood back up. "I will see you soon, one way or another." Death turned to pull his scythe up then _He _vanished in another small wisp of black smoke.

Feeling relief he didn't know was possible, he looked at Ginny and saw amazement and desire in her face. Knowing it was the right thing to do but not why, he put a hand on her waist and pulled her around to his front and proceeded to kiss her like they had the first time, except they didn't stop after a moment.

One of her hands went to his head while the other went to the top of his bum; both pulled him to her. Meanwhile, he had one hand in the small of her back pulling her to him, while his hand roamed up and down her back, straying to her bum as it wanted … all while kissing.

"Hey, are you going to stop?" came a voice from behind him.

He felt Ginny's hand move from his bum for a brief moment before there was a red flash through his closed eyelids. Her hand soon returned to his bum and they continued making out for some time with no interruptions.

* * *

(A/N: Sorry, the aftermath comes next chapter, but hopefully that was different. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**[Tue - Aug 5]**

The next morning, Hermione woke and just blinked as she looked around, recognizing her bedroom in Harry's house but not remembering how she'd arrived here. Pulling the blanket and sheet back, she found herself still dressed, except for no shoes. Yet another odd observation.

Thinking very carefully, she finally remembered talking to the powerful being who'd come when Harry had retrieved the wand. Remembered going to the cave, seeing him come, and then nothing. Well, maybe one more memory of seeing Harry and Ginny only, but that one was fuzzy - which wasn't normal for her.

Sighing, she got up and grabbed her wand from the nightstand and went to search for answers. A glance at the clock showed it was about their normal time for breakfast. Because it was close and an obvious place to look, she went to the master bedroom. Since the door was closed, she carefully and slowly turned the knob and opened the door a crack. Inside, she found Ginny still sleeping with Harry's arm over her, holding her to him. He was still asleep also.

Hermione closed the door as carefully as she'd opened it and returned to her room. Grabbing clothes, she headed for the bathroom down the hall to clean up and to give them time to wake. Last night had made them all a little more tired than usual, so she wasn't too surprised they were all starting a little later today.

On the way back, their door was still closed. However, after she'd dressed and brushed her mane, she saw Harry's door was open slightly. Sticking her head in, she saw the bed was empty. As she was about to leave to search downstairs, Ginny walked back in from the attached bathroom in only her knickers. "Ginny!" she hissed.

The redhead looked over and asked, "What?", as she walked to the chest-of-drawers in the room and pulled out a bra, something that definitely wasn't Harry's.

"Did you move in here?" Hermione was a bit surprised to see this.

"A few things," Ginny replied as she pulled out a shirt. "Hopefully, we won't go anywhere tonight and I can move the rest of my things in then. Why?"

"Because I thought…" Hermione paused, "Never mind. So you don't care that Harry sees everything now? You still haven't been here all that long."

"While I look forward to that day, I've just finished a quick shower and I didn't get up until Harry had already left to start breakfast," the younger girl replied as she pulled on a clean pair of jeans. "We might have progressed a little, but we're still not ready for the things you're implying, and I wish you'd stop. It's not your business, _Mum_," she finished sarcastically.

"I…" Hermione shook her head and sank into the nearby chair. "I don't want to see you or Harry hurt, that's all.

Ginny padded over with socks in hand, "I appreciate that, Hermione, I really do and I'm sure Harry does too, but it's our problem … our lives … to work out."

Hermione nodded while Ginny walked back to the bed, sitting on it to deal with her socks. "What happened last night? I remember … _Him_ … coming, looking at me, and then no more before I woke up this morning in my bed still dressed."

"That's all?"

"Well, I have a fuzzy memory of you and Harry in the cave, but I can't remember what," the older girl complained.

"Well, the shorter version is that Death made Harry justify why he had the three Hallows or give them up," Ginny explained. "Harry convinced him by pointing that Riddle had split himself and Harry needed all the help he could get and Death agreed.

"During that," Ginny stopped and looked at her friend, "Harry almost got us all killed by using one of your lines."

"What?!" Hermione squealed in shock.

"He said that Death had to let him use the Wand and things as he was now the Master of Death because he had all three. That's what you said, wasn't it?" Ginny asked innocently.

"I suppose," Hermione answered hesitantly, searching for the trap. "But why would that have gotten us killed?"

"Please, Hermione." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Do you really any of us mere humans could control a cosmic power, or whatever you want to call Death, Fate, Time, and other powers like them? And don't tell me they don't exist as you've already met one of them face to face."

"They're just in stories," Hermione retorted.

"Yeah, stories that have a basis in fact somewhere along the way." Ginny shook her head. "Look, I probably should have said something sooner and stopped you when you said that the first time, but it seemed pretty funny and how was I to know we'd actually meet the real Death?" She chuckled. "On the other hand, it did work out in our favor eventually."

Hermione just blinked at her. "What are you talking about?"

Ginny sat down at the vanity and started brushing her hair. "When Harry asked Him about being able to tell him what to do, He became so very angry at first, such that I thought I was going to pee in my pants and Harry told me later that he thought he was going to have to change his underpants.

"Then after Harry told your theory about him being the Master of Death, He just looked at us for a minute then He started making the strangest sound, sort of like a person gasping for air with a rattle thrown in. Then He'd almost stop, look to you, then back to us, and start up again. I started to relax as I realized he was laughing at us. He also said He hadn't heard anything so funny in centuries."

"You're having me on!"

"No, I swear on my wand; I'm not making this up. You can ask Harry. Anyway, He let Harry ask one question and then helped Harry a little before he left." Ginny checked her work on her ponytail and stood.

"You can't stop there. What did Harry ask and what was done?" Hermione demanded.

"Harry told me he almost asked where all the Horcruxes were-"

Hermione stopped her. "That would have been my question."

"Yeah, I wondered if he'd do that too, but Harry instead asked about his scar." Ginny led her out of the bedroom. "It was really a pretty good question as we weren't sure whether Dumbledore was right or not."

"And?" Hermione pressed.

"Nope, not a soul fragment," Ginny said with a smile as they went down the stairs. "So we don't have to do anything about cleansing Harry, allowing him to kill himself, or anything else Dumbledore was going on about in that regard."

"That's really good to hear," Hermione agreed. "What did Death do for Harry to help him?"

Ginny grinned at her as they approached the kitchen. "You can ask him yourself, if you can't figure it out."

"Ask me what?" Harry queried as he set the table.

"What Death did for you," Hermione told him as she looked him over. "Your scar! It's almost gone; I barely notice it now."

Harry was all smiles. "Yes, I'm pleased and I won't have to worry about pain next time I see Tom either."

"So what did He do?"

"Sorry, just porridge and toast this morning; I went for something simple," he told them as he put the pot on the table and took his seat.

"Well?" Hermione asked with a raise eyebrow as the girls took their seats.

"Oh, he removed an 'echo', as he called it, of Tom which seems to have removed the Dark Taint and allowed the wound to be healed - finally," he explained. "Ginny did a good job of applying the Dittany and taking care of me after we got home." He grinned with a look of pleasure on his face for a moment.

"But I thought you said it wasn't a soul fragment," Hermione protested.

"It wasn't from what I gathered," Harry replied. "He said he removed 'an echo not a part'."

"An echo not a part?" the brunette parroted.

"Yeah, an echo of Tom but not a part of Tom. I think Tom left a bit of his magic behind," Harry shrugged, "or that's how I understood it."

Hermione thought about that for a moment as she ate. "I can understand that explanation, but I can see it the opposite way too."

Harry shrugged again. "Doesn't really matter as He dealt with it and I'm free of it. Well, I suppose it matters as far as how many parts of Tom we have to find, but I'm feeling better about it all. I even have a great idea on how to find the other parts, which we'll work on this afternoon. We also have to destroy the part of Tom in the Locket too. He said the Elder Wand could take care of it and if you think about it, Dumbledore did that with the Ring he found."

"What are we doing to find the other parts?" Ginny asked.

"My surprise," he told her with a wink. It's possible his idea wouldn't work, but he thought it would

"What happened after?" Hermione asked. "I think I remember seeing you two in the cave, I think."

"She says that memory is fuzzy," Ginny added before looking at her friend. "You did make a sound once, but you didn't stay awake, so we brought you home and put you to bed."

"You could have taken my clothes off so I was more comfortable," she complained lightly.

"Harry was helping me," Ginny told her matter-of-factly before she turned teasing, "and I don't share."

Ignoring the teasing, Hermione said, "Fine," effectively ending the conversation, but wondered why the other two smirked at each other as they finished breakfast.

— — —

Ginny made herself comfortable on the couch while Hermione set up her Dict-O-Quill again and Harry readied himself.

When all were ready, Harry summoned the old Headmaster again. "Albus Dumbledore. I have some news for you and a question. The details don't matter, but we believe we've proven Hermione is correct on the number seven. I'm definitely not a Horcrux."

"I don't care what you believe in this case because you're wrong. See?" Harry moved his hair aside. "My scar has changed and is almost gone. It seems I had a magical connection to Riddle, maybe because of an interrupted spell, but that's only a guess. The important point is that bit of magic is gone and I have no connection to him at all now."

"Why are you disappointed?"

"Hmm," Harry looked at the two of them. "It seems he also thought that if Riddle were to kill me, that connection might allow me to live through it, again." Harry turned back to the person the girls couldn't see. "I suppose we'll never find out because I plan to be very careful around him."

"Now for my question. You never told us what the present to Ron was for."

"And."

Harry looked alarmed and managed a strangled. "How long does that last?"

A moment later, Harry put the Stone on the table and put his finger in front of his lips before he mimed writing. Hermione came to the rescue and put a pen and a little notebook of hers in front of him.

Ginny read along with Hermione. "_Don't talk for the next 7 minutes or Ron will hear whatever is said near me. Ginny, go over and see if you can find that Deluminator without Ron knowing. If so bring it over here._"

With a nod, Ginny rose and Apparated over to her Great Aunt's house.

— — —

Her mother met her at the door. "Ginny!"

`Rotten luck,` the girl thought. "Mum. Is Ron here? I have a question for him." Or she hoped she could think of one if required.

"He can wait. Come sit and talk. I want to know how you're doing, because I still don't think you should be other there without more supervision, in spite of your father's assurances to the contrary."

It was all Ginny could do not to roll her eyes or retort. "We're doing well. Harry is making a little progress on his task for Dumbledore." That should be a little safer, using the old man as a shield.

"Are you staying with Hermione?" her mother asked concerned.

"Yes, Mum, Hermione is being a proper chaperone and Harry is the perfect gentleman, sadly." She gave her mother the puppy-dog eyes.

"Stop that," the woman swatted her lightly on the shoulder, though she smiled a little too. "It's never worked with me before and won't now. I'm just concerned for you dear. You're still so young."

"Mum, how old was Bill when you considered him grown up?" she asked boldly.

"Never you mind," the woman waved the question away, "but older than you are now and besides, he is a boy."

Ginny frowned and had to work to hold in a stronger response. "I thought you'd understand about being held back just because you're a girl if anyone would, but I guess not." She stood, ready to storm off.

Molly grabbed her daughter's shoulder. "Ginny, please understand that I only want to protect you, to give you time to grow up into the fine young woman I know you will be one day."

She understood, sort of, but the attitude still bothered her. "Mum, I grew up the hard way four years ago. I'm about to be sixteen. I know I'm not considered 'legal' in the eyes of the Ministry, but I'm already a young woman in so many ways. I'm not a little girl any longer. The only one who will hold me back is me." Her declaration done, she now stormed off in search of her brother, a little surprised her mother wasn't yelling after her but she was glad for it.

Slipping past the parlor quietly because she noted her Great Aunt was in there and she didn't want to talk to her at the moment, she hurried up the stairs to where she and her brother normally stayed when they came over here. Sure enough, she found Ron in the bedroom where she expected. He was lying on his bed with the Deluminator on the bedside table next to him. Damn! Worse, he looked up and saw her so she couldn't sneak away.

"Ginny?! Is something wrong?" he dropped his Quidditch magazine as he sat up and looked at her worriedly.

Thinking fast as she closed the door slowly, she said, "Nothing's wrong, just a little sensitive." She sat on the bed beside her relieved brother.

"What's up?"

In a way, this is something Harry should have asked for, so the believability factor should be high. "Ron, we need to you to talk to people in the Order and get them thinking about how to bring people together quickly when an emergency does arise. There will be at least a time or two we're going to need help and it will be on short notice, plus it'll have to be people willing to go up against Death Eaters."

"Oh, right, I can see that."

Ginny breathed a little easier since he was buying this. "It would be good for them to be ready for it in case they need to help defend each other too," she added.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, good idea. I'll get on it. Does Harry need this now 'cause it could be a few days before we work something out."

"No, nothing yet and this is why I'm coming over now. We didn't want to have to rush you because we knew it could take time to find people and work things out," she told him.

"Right, right," Ron agreed with a nod. "Good to see he's thinking ahead. Have you found anything yet?"

She hated lying to him, as if she wasn't before. "We've found a lead. Been searching through Harry's notes from Dumbledore and trying to look at them differently. It's only been a week," she pointed out.

Ron sighed. "Yeah, I know. If you only have one lead after a week and there's three of those things..." He shook his head again and looked down. "I think I'm starting to understand how impatient I am sometimes. Don't know what to do about it though."

Ginny was amazed and gave him a small hug from the side and did her best to sound encouraging. "Understanding is the first step, Ron. Keep working at it and you'll get there."

"Thanks." Ron smiled for a moment. "Hey, want to hear something weird? I'd swear I heard Harry's voice a few minutes before you came. I don't know if it was in my head because I was thinking about what if he was the Seeker for the Cannons or what? It was just a few words but nothing I could make out because I wasn't expecting that."

Ginny gave him a short forced chuckle. "Must have been in your daydreams. Work on that contact problem for us. We can talk about how it's going when we come for my birthday." She patted him on the shoulder as she stood.

Ron looked at her gratefully. "Thanks for trusting me with this."

"We all know you can do it. Later." She left her brother and it wasn't until she was halfway down the stairs that she realized she'd forgotten about her mother. `Joy,` she thought, dreading what might be about to happen.

"Ginny?" her mother called out softly.

That caused her to stop and look, surprised that her mother didn't look upset; she was more sad actually.

"I'm sorry, dear." Her mother walked over and pulled her into a loose hug and held her. "Growing up is hard and that's true even when you're a mum - you'll find out one day. It's hard to admit, but you're a little extra special because you're my last and my only girl."

The woman let go of the hug, instead holding the girl at arm's length at both shoulders. "I'm trying, I really am. With nine of us, I get so concerned that I'm going to lose someone - like I did with my brothers."

Ginny couldn't help it, she moved forward and hugged her mum, already forgiving the woman. "I'm sorry, Mum. I'm not trying to worry you. I just … I just want to find me, the real me." `And have some fun,` she thought but didn't dare say.

"It's part of growing up," her mother told her before letting go. "Just be very careful, all right?"

"Yes, Mum, always," careful to look as normal as possible while thinking, `Yet another lie for the visit, but with a good reason.`

Her mother turned and grabbed a covered plate and handed it to her. "Perhaps it's not the most grown-up thing, but take some biscuits back with you. They're your favorite, chocolate chip."

Ginny's eyes widened at the gift. "Thanks, Mum!" She grabbed them quickly while her mother chuckled.

As she walked towards the back door, her mother asked her in a puzzled voice, "Don't you want to go the other way to the fireplace?"

"No, Mum," Ginny answered, the back door being held open by one hand now. "I Apparated here; it's part of growing up," she said with a wicked grim before she beat a hasty retreat to the point she could Apparate back.

"Ginny!" her mother called in a exasperated voice just before the girl left.

Arriving at the back door to Harry's house, she was grinning like the cat who got the canary, and she still was when she arrived at the library where the other two were still waiting in silence, despite the time limit being long gone.

"Biscuits from my mum?" she asked happily as she pulled the wrap off and grabbed one herself. The other two jumped up and practically ran over to grab one, having had them before.

"Glad my parents can't see this," Hermione said as she took a big bite. "Yum…"

"So good," Harry said right after. "Did you get it?"

"No," Ginny replied, some of her good mood leaving her. "He had it on the table beside him. He also said he thought he heard a few words from you, but he'd been thinking about you and thought it was in his head. I encouraged that."

"Good thinking," Hermione told her.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but we can't say his name until we get it because Dumbledore said he'd be able to hear everything around me for seven minutes every time his name was spoken. It was to help him find us should he ever walk away."

"Dumbledore knew my brother would leave at some point?" Ginny was aghast. "Wow, that's amazing and dreadful."

"But he also knew your brother would want to come back too," Hermione pointed out before she turned to their leader. "You know we can't take it; he'll miss it, especially if he's still keeping it beside him."

"There's a way to remove that ability," Harry told her, "and I'll make Dumbledore tell me. So," he looked at Ginny, "I think go over early since your brother likes to sleep late. Get it, fix it, then put it back."

"Not that I want to get up that early, but that should work," Ginny agreed. "What was your idea to find the other parts?"

Harry grinned and looked at her. "Thanks to your prompting, we have way to find them without a lot of searching, or at least I think so - hope so. I could be wrong but I think this will work."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? Do this sooner?"

Harry shrugged, not losing his grin. "Because I didn't think of it until I was cooking breakfast this morning. As for what, well, hopefully this works since I've built it up now."

Turning his hand with the Stone again, he command, "Tom Marvolo Riddle, come." He heard two gasps but watched in front of him. Instead of a normal looking person come, as his parents and Dumbledore had, a ghost he could see through faded in. Harry recognized him as an older version of the boy he'd meet in the Chamber and was thankful this was working so far.

"Tom, thank you for coming, I have some questions for you."

"Doesn't matter if you don't like this, you have to come and answer to me. Now, tell me about each of the Horcruxes you made. What did you attached them too and where did you hide them along with their protections?"

Harry listened and nodded from time to time, pleased this was actually working. "Do you know where Bella hid hers?" He couldn't help the sigh that escaped him. "How can I destroy them?" After another few minutes, Harry set the Stone on the table.

"I can't believe that really worked," Hermione said in awe.

Ginny grinned, "Totally brilliant idea." She grabbed his head and kissed him hard.

Harry started returning the kiss, his arms going around his girl when they heard, "Hey!" Breaking, they each looked at their friend and mumbled, "Sorry."

"What did he say?" the brunette asked.

Harry leaned back on the couch and Ginny snuggled against him. "Story time," she said with a smile.

He snorted. "Not a great story, let me tell you." He shook his head for a moment before he brightened. "I had hoped that what one part knew in life all parts would know in death and it appears that was correct.

"Fortunately, Dumbledore's list is correct, including Nagini, which he made just before he came to kill my parents. The missing one is Ravenclaw's Diadem, which is hidden in the Room of Requirement at school. We're supposed to search for a room to hide things. So we definitely need to get to Hogwarts soon.

"As for how to destroy them, he says we have to destroy the container. The easiest way is a strong Killing Curse, which is probably what Death meant when he said His wand could destroy them. That's great except that I don't know that I could successfully cast one."

"I think I could," Ginny paused, "well, maybe. If I think of what Tom and Lucius Malfoy did to me, I really might could."

"Thanks, but I'd rather you didn't," Harry told her quietly, and saw Hermione nodding in agreement when he looked back up. "He said Fiendfyre would also do it."

"That would be really dangerous," Hermione cautioned, "especially since it's hard to control."

Harry nodded. "There's also Basilisk Venom and apparently a spell that's the reverse of the one to bind the soul fragment to the object, but he said it's so hard to do that and probably only he and Dumbledore would be able to do it."

"So we need the venom or else to learn Fiendfyre," Ginny stated.

"Seems that way," Harry agreed. "Your birthday is this coming Tuesday. Do you think your parents will invite McGonagall? We could talk to her if she was there."

"I would guess not," Ginny said, "but we can see and if not then get a note to her."

"Sounds like a plan," Harry told them, getting a nod from each girl.

"Come on, Harry. With progress like that, we can afford to take the rest of the afternoon off." Ginny stood and pulled Harry to his feet as he slipped the Stone into his pocket.

"Doing what, oh girlfriend of mine?" he protested teasingly.

"Come and find out oh boyfriend of mine," Ginny told him, dragging him from the room though Harry wasn't resisting at all. She threw over her shoulder, "Hermione, you're on your own for dinner; we're going out on a date this evening."

"Out?" Harry asked surprised.

Ginny's voice was still audible even as they walked away. "We'll go to that Muggle pub you told me about; that should be safe enough."

Hermione just shook her head at the two and thought that probably was safe enough. She had her laundry to do and there were also so many interesting books in the library to read.

* * *

**[Wed - Aug 6]**

Despite the fact that Harry rose early most mornings, even he was a little blurry-eyed. Ginny was still trying very hard to wake up, even with an cup of extra strong tea to help her. Harry would have Apparated them, but Ginny was going to have to do so since she was the only one of them to have been to their destination before.

Stepping onto the back porch, he grabbed her hand. "Sure you're awake enough to do this?"

She nodded. "The cool air helps. Ready?"

He squeezed her hand and then they were in complete darkness for a short moment before reappearing in the countryside just as the sun was starting to lighten the sky. Still holding his hand, she led them up to a good-sized house. Not a manor house, but Harry wouldn't have been surprised to know it had six or even as many as eight bedrooms in it.

He pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and handed it to her when she'd guided them around the house and stopped at a window.

"I'll go in here because no one should hear me," she whispered. "Go stand under that window over there."

He looked where she pointed and nodded. With a spell, she opened the window to crawl in and then looked at Harry. Finally understanding, he helped her up. She wrapped the Cloak around her and left on her mission.

Once she was in, he moved to his location and wished once again that they'd taken the time to learn the Disillusionment Spell - perhaps something for today's learning session. To be prepared, he pulled the Stone out of his pocket and called Dumbledore.

(Hello again, Harry. Why are we here?)

"Well, we're about to fix one of your problems and I needed some guidance from you," he whispered. "Ginny is about to get the Deluminator and you're going to help me … disconnect it from me."

(Harry, that was a gift to help him help you.)

"Maybe in your plan, but we're not following that plan. I'm not going to hurt my friend's feelings by stealing it from him, so we have to fix it."

The window above opened with the barest of noises before a hand appeared and dropped something.

Harry caught the object and grinned. "Now, how do I change this so he never hears my voice from it." He watched Dumbledore sigh, but the Shade told him how and Harry did the spell. He levitated it back up to the window and held it there for a hand to reappear and grasp it. To make sure it was really fixed, he said as planned, "Ron, what's up, Ron?" The hand reappeared and gave him a thumbs up and disappeared again before the window closed.

(I believe you'll regret that in the long run.)

Harry snorted quietly. "Probably not. Tell me, how long did you think it would take me to find all of these things and get them using your plan?"

(I don't know, but I'd think six to twelve months wouldn't be unreasonable.)

He couldn't help his quiet laugh, more of a hiss really. "Well, using our plan, I know where they all are now and have all but two of them after only one month. I think I'll stick with our plan." Seeing the shocked look on Dumbledore's face, he added, "Ta-ta for now," before putting the Stone in his pocket to make the Shade go away.

Ginny finally reappeared where she'd entered and he helped her out of the window. She closed it back and they hurried away, maybe fifteen minutes after they'd arrived. "I didn't hear anything when you tested it and I don't believe anyone knew I came, so I think we're good."

"Good thing your aunt doesn't have a house-elf," Harry commented.

When they were off the property, they Apparated back to #12. Not seeing their friend, they went to his room to prepare for the day, stopping along the way to kiss at every landing.

As they entered their room, another door opened fully instead of only a crack and the girl looked down the hall and shook her head. Doing her best not to interfere, she told herself, `Not my problem, not my problem, not my problem.`

— — —

Knowing she had to go down for breakfast, Hermione was going to do her best to ignore mentioning the sight of the two from a short time ago. She entered the kitchen to find Harry cooking breakfast and Ginny being much more active than normal for this time of morning; the redhead was almost dancing around the kitchen as she set the table one piece at a time. Harry would lightly clap when she pirouetted, even if it was badly done.

"You two seem to be in a good mood," Hermione told them as she took her seat.

"It's early, but yes," Ginny said as she put the last of the glasses on the table. "Have you ever heard of a group called the … the Bugs?"

"The Beatles," Harry corrected her.

"Yes, the Beatles," Ginny repeated.

"I have," Hermione said with amusement. "Why?"

"I heard their music at the pub last night. Oh and some men with a female name like the Weird Sisters." Ginny looked at Harry.

"Queen," he supplied helpfully.

"Yes, them, and some others too. It was a lot of fun," Ginny told her happily. "Harry did really well at a game called darts. I think that's something we should bring to the Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks."

Hermione worked to keep her smile small at the girl's discoveries so as not to make Ginny think she was laughing at her. "Do you find the Muggle world as fascinating as your dad?"

Ginny thought about that for a moment as Harry started to bring the food to the table. "In some ways, maybe. Or maybe I just like some things in it; I'm not sure I'm as fascinated - as you say - with the whole Muggle way like my dad is. Parts of it are fun though."

"You can say Ron's name now," Harry told Hermione as he served himself. "We took care of that problem early this morning."

"Ah, now I understand Ginny being up so early," Hermione teased, which caused Ginny to blow a raspberry at her friend and Harry to chuckle.

* * *

(A/N: Hopefully that was a unique way to shorten the hunt.)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**[Fri - Aug 8]**

Hermione stood in the hall and watched Ginny hug Harry tightly before letting go. "If you need us, we're just a shout away in Hermione's bedroom. Promise me you'll call out if you need me, all right?"

"I promise," Harry said thickly before he stepped back and closed the door to his bedroom.

After a deep breath, the redhead turned and stoically joined her before they went into Hermione's room where a tea set was waiting on a small table between two chairs.

"He'll be all right," Hermione told her.

"Probably," Ginny agreed evenly as she took a seat and sat stiffly, "but I know that summoning Sirius will be hard on him; it's why he's put it off for so long."

Hermione poured the tea for them. "Maybe this will good for us too. We don't get to talk as just girls as much as I thought we would when we moved in."

Playing with her cup to let it cool a little, Ginny took a deep breath and nodded, relaxing a little. "Well, I know we started working on his quest part-time like a month ago, but we've really been here and working full time for a little over a week. I know we told Ron it would take months, and it still might, but we've been working at a very quick pace and doing very well so far, or I think so."

"I agree. In fact, I'm really surprised at how well and fast we've been progressing. However," Hermione shook her head, "I don't think that will continue. The diadem shouldn't be hard, but the last two could be very difficult to retrieve and then there's Riddle."

"Yes, then there's Riddle," Ginny parroted with an air of unease looking at her cup as much as she was her friend.

"Has Harry mentioned any ideas for that?" Hermione wondered. "I haven't thought of any, not that I've given it much thought yet."

"I haven't either, and no, Harry hasn't mentioned anything." Ginny took sip of her tea and then a cleansing breath and seemed to force a smile. "How are your parents?"

"Doing well. I got a letter from them the other day, thanks to Hedwig. They also haven't seen any signs of Death Eaters, thankfully, despite being vigilant." Hermione asked, "How are you parents and how are they dealing with you being here?"

"They're doing surprisingly well, considering what happened at the end of Bill's wedding. It's no surprise Mum misses The Burrow," Ginny replied. "Dad's keeping busy by studying Muggles and working on his hobbies while Mum's spending her time with Aunt Muriel and working in the garden - typical really. I think Dad is treating it like a holiday."

"What about you being here?" Hermione watched as she continued to sipped her tea.

Ginny grimaced slightly. "Again, about what you'd expect. They both wished I was there with them, but the hardest part has been Mum. Dad told me the other day that he's spent a lot of time talking to her about letting me grow up and it's mostly working."

"That's good. My parents have said they wonder if I'll date before I'm 30." Both girls giggled. Hermione took on mischievous look. "How are things going with Harry? Getting closer?"

Ginny took a sip and grinned for a moment, relaxing more. "Quite well. Progress is a little slower than I'd like at times, but we're still progressing. Of course, it's probably good that we're taking it slow. We've had a late night talk most nights to work through issues we've both experienced." She smiled again. "It's also a time for me to tell him what it's like to grow up in a Wizarding family and he likes that."

"I bet it helps him to understand your family better too."

"Yes, it does. One of the most important parts is that he has a better understanding of why Ron's such a prat at times." Ginny giggled.

"Ginny!" they both heard the muffled call and the bespoken girl dropped her cup and was gone so fast that it took a moment for Hermione to realize Ginny had Apparated.

A spell cleaned up the small mess, since the cup had been almost empty anyway. It was already after dinner and considering Harry would probably be an emotional wreck, she didn't expect to see either one any more tonight. Without much else to do and not feeling like studying for the moment, she grabbed a fiction book and curled up in bed, thankful they were in a place that was reasonably comfortable.

* * *

**[Sat - Aug 9]**

When Hermione came down the next morning, she found Harry making a full breakfast and Ginny calmly sipping her tea. "Harry, are you…"

He turned around gave her a lop-sided smile. "I'm fine this morning. Got a good idea too." He returned to the stove.

She looked at Ginny and raised an eyebrow. "He is fine … once I made him talk to me," the redhead said with an amused look while staring over her tea cup at him. Harry coughed twice but didn't turn around; Ginny look up at her with an amused smile. Hermione had to work to repress a chuckle.

After she felt she was completely under control again, Hermione asked, "What was the idea?"

Harry put the bacon on the table and looked at her. "When I asked Sirius about where Bella might have hid Hufflepuff's Cup since he would have known her the best of those we have access to, he said possibly hidden in her house or in her Gringotts' vault.

"So we need to find out where she lived before she went to prison and where she is now," he explained. "I'm thinking this is something to give to Ron with a suggestion to ask Mad-Eye. If anyone knew it'd probably be him."

Harry turned the stove off and put the pan of eggs on the table and gestured at the food as he sat himself then grabbed the pumpkin juice to fill his glass. "I asked him if there were any easy ways to get into her vault, if the house search didn't work out and he gave me one idea."

"Oh?" Hermione asked and Ginny looked as interested.

"Short of trying a break in, which he didn't recommend, he suggested we file a complaint with the Goblins about her stealing from the Black Family. Apparently, it's something you can only do to retrieve family heirlooms, not money; and I can do that as head of the Black Family. We'd have to describe the Cup in detail then the Goblins would search the vault and if they find it, they'll retrieve it for a fee. Sirius pointed out that I would have the Black Family vault to pay for it, not that he expected the fee to be all that large, may be a thousand Galleons or so."

Hermione's eyes bugged out at that and Ginny just sat frozen and blinked.

"Harry," Hermione forced out, "a thousand Galleons is a lot of money. For some, it might represent as much as three month wages, or so I've been told." Ginny nodded, backing her up.

"Oh," Harry thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Sirius said the Black Family vault could cover it easily and I could too from my school vault. Technically, I should have access to the Potter Family vault now. I may check it out if we go there." He returned to eating.

Hermione looked at her friend in wonder, never having really considered that he was wealthy. She looked at Ginny who gave her a look like she had been surprised too. After a moment, Hermione came to the conclusion that Ginny was surprised by Harry being in control of the Black Family not by his wealth.

"So which do we do first?" Hermione asked as she thought about it some more. "Or do we do both at the same time?"

Harry grabbed his glass of juice and sat back in his chair and looked thoughtful as he looked at the two of them. "I think we'll find out about her house first. Maybe she won't have one and that will point to the bank. If she has one, I don't know; maybe we'll see how hard it would be to get in and then decide."

"Uh, Harry?" Ginny spoke up. "Is there anyone else you could ask? You know, with the Stone?"

They all looked at each other for a few minutes, each trying to think of someone. "Not a clue," Harry said finally. He looked down and didn't appear happy. "I guess I could ask Sirius that."

"Would asking your parents be easier?" asked Ginny softly. "I'd think all you really need is information from the time you were a baby, since that's when Bella would have been given the Cup."

Harry brightened. "Good idea. I'll go ask now. I'll do the dishes when I return in a few minutes." He left the kitchen looking happier.

Hermione looked at her other friend. "It was difficult for him to talk to Sirius, then?"

Ginny nodded. "It was very emotional for him. I think it was good and Sirius told him several times that Harry wasn't at fault for his death, but it's still hard on Harry to talk to his Godfather. As you can guess, he's more real than his parents whom he never knew." She sighed. "The Stone has been more useful to us than I first imagined it would be, but it will be a good thing to get rid of it."

Harry returned a few minutes later. "My dad suggested Regulus. I called him and he gave me some good info. I'll be back in a bit. Going over to see Ron to see if he can get current info about Bella from Moody."

Hermione looked at Ginny. "It's useful indeed." Ginny nodded and started cleaning up to help Harry.

* * *

**[Tue - Aug 12]**

Harry laughed a joke George had just told, as had the others. It was a wonderful day off for them, visiting with the Weasleys. Aunt Muriel even seemed to be enjoying herself, at least according to Ginny, who was snuggled against his side while he had an arm around her shoulders.

Other than Hermione it was just family, so neither Moody nor McGonagall were there, which slowed the hunt slightly. On the other hand, Ron whispered he had information when they'd arrived, so perhaps he'd find out what he needed later.

Bill and Fleur were in attendance too, which was really good, he thought. They looked as happy as newlyweds should.

Yes, he was having fun and not training, but he still had things to do for the war today too.

It took a little while, but he eventually pulled Bill to the side out of earshot of the others. "Hey Bill, can you answer a question about Gringotts to help me out?"

"Probably," the redhead answered in an easy going manner.

"Are there any restrictions on what can be stored in a vault?" Harry asked, hoping this would be an easy way to solve his problem.

"A few, but not many," Bill answered. "Why? What did you want to store in yours?"

"A cursed item, would they let anyone store one?" Harry asked, doing his best to contain his hope.

"Hmm, probably no limit there, as long as whatever was in there didn't get out and kill any goblins," Bill replied.

"Oh," Harry said slowly as his hope drained away. "Uh, I've heard that as head of a family, I can request the retrieval of an heirloom from another family member's vault. True?"

Bill looked at him a little suspiciously. "That is true, but not something to be done lightly, Harry. You have to be very detailed in its description and if it's not there, you'll be charged double the fee, which can run up to several thousand Galleons." Bill looked at him very seriously and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Why? What are you after?"

Harry looked around; no one was near and he could account for everyone. Still, he whispered too. "There's a possibility that Bella has something in her vault that I need to end the war."

Bill breathed in so quickly he let out a hiss, as if he'd just been burnt. "I hope that's not true. Make that the last place you look for it - I'm very serious about that."

Harry gave him a sharp nod. "Agreed, not something I want to do but I may not have a choice. The alternative is to capture her alive so I can ask."

Bill blinked for a moment before he shook his head. "I'm not going to ask." He sighed after another moment. "I wouldn't want to have to do that either; it'd be far easier to surprise her and just kill her. She's insane yet very good with a wand. In fact, she may be so good because she's unpredictable because of her insanity."

"I agree," Harry said in a normal voice. "Thanks for your help; I really appreciate it." He smiled broadly. "And congratulations again; I hope you and Fleur work out well."

Bill grinned and slapped Harry on the back and they started walking over to rejoin the rest. "It's been great so far. She's redecorating where we live, I call it Shell Cottage, but that's all right by me. She's doing a better job of it than I ever have. How's it going with Ginny?"

"Well," Harry said as he looked at his girlfriend who was talking to the twins, probably a dangerous thing he decided. "She's been helpful on a task I'm doing for Dumbledore and she's been telling me about the Wizarding world too."

Bill clapped his hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed, but didn't let go this time. "Be good to her, Harry."

"Always," Harry replied, meaning it and not because of the implied threat.

Bill smiled again and let go before he walked over to join his wife.

Ron came over and motioned for him to follow with a tilt of his head. "Talked to Moody last night," he said quietly. "He said he led a team of Aurors through her and her husband's house when she was arrested years ago and there was nothing significant found, plus all the wards were torn down. He also said the house was pretty well trashed and it's stayed that way over the years. He checked it out not long ago and he could walk straight in. He doesn't know where she's staying now, but suspects Malfoy Manor with her sister and possibly her master. Is that good or bad?"

"Hard to say," Harry replied as he looked around. "It makes one thing a little easier, but also adds risk to our search."

"Anything else I need to find out?" Ron asked.

"Not that I can think of at the moment," Harry told him, wishing he didn't have to deal with Gringotts.

"One more thing you need to know, something Moody found out the hard way and told me last night." Ron looked around for a moment. "Don't say You-Know-Who's name like you and Dumbledore did at school."

"The one with a 'V'?"

"Yeah, that one, don't say it," Ron confirmed. "There's a Taboo on it, so if you say it, the Snatchers will come after you. Dad reckons the Ministry changed the sensors that look for underage magic and made them listen for the name. Moody said he barely got away. It's why we were raised not to say it."

Harry shook his head and gave a grim smile. "Good thing we've been calling him Riddle."

"Yeah, good thing, mate," Ron said with a mirthless laugh.

"Harry!" Ginny called.

He and Ron looked over and saw her mother coming out of the house and carrying something.

"Cake!" Ron cried and left Harry behind with large strides. Harry chuckled and hurried over too.

— — —

"Make sure she's alone when you give this to her, even if you have to wait a little bit," Harry commanded.

Kreacher took the note and popped away.

"I'd say let's have a snack, but I'm stuffed," Harry said.

Hermione actually gave a small snort. "I don't know how you ate so much cake today."

"Hey, Ron ate more than I did," he complained.

"I'll agree with both of you and I'm stuffed too," Ginny stated. "I wonder if we'll have to wait long?"

She grabbed the tea pot and heated it while Hermione grabbed cups. Harry walked to the cold box and pulled out a Butterbeer. They all drank slowly as they waited, each hoping it was short.

A pop ten minutes later caused them all to jump in surprise, but Harry recovered first and looked at the elf, who handed a note over.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked excitedly, and Ginny looked that way too.

After a moment, Harry told them, "She says the sooner the better and that Snape is at the school now with others coming soon. She also says that she'll help us by running interference to keep Snape and Filch away. She also says that Snape has sworn to her that he killed Dumbledore under the Headmaster's orders and he's still on our side."

Ginny snorted and drawled sarcastically, "Right."

"It is possible," Hermione said, getting two disbelieving looks. "Wait, really. Remember Dumbledore had the cursed hand. Maybe he told Snape to do it because he was about to die anyway."

"Why?" Ginny asked just a breath before Harry did.

"To make him look better to the other Death Eaters, to Riddle."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other. "Naw, I don't believe it," Ginny finally said.

"I … suppose it's possible," Harry said very grudgingly, "but I think highly unlikely. I think we've seen his true colors."

Hermione looked like she was about to argue but didn't. "Are we going there tonight?"

"She said sooner rather than later," he answered. "Go get changed again. Ginny, take your broom."

"Not again, please?" Hermione begged.

Harry gave her a get real look. "You know we can't be found."

Hermione didn't argue this either, but looked unhappy.

"If you're that concerned, you don't have to go," he told her. "Ginny and I can do this ourselves." Hermione stood and left to change anyway.

Harry scribbled, "10pm tonight, 7th floor near the tapestry with the trolls," on a note and handed it to Kreacher. "Same instructions as before when you take this to McGonagall." They had about an hour and a half.

— — —

The three Apparated to the cave they'd left from last time. Harry had Hermione ride behind Ginny tonight since Ginny weighed less than he did and so he could fight on the broom if required. He was also wearing a backpack to hold a few things. He led the way to a window on the seventh floor, doing his best to stay out of sight of the few windows that had a light.

Hovering outside the castle near a window, he checked the Maurader's Map and found McGonagall was coming up the stairs and that no one else was nearby. He used magic to open the window and they entered the castle and headed for the Room of Requirement. Harry was thankful he had the knowledge from Riddle as to how to find this piece. He didn't want to think about how hard it would have been to guess the correct room as well as find this piece in the large room.

McGonagall came around the corner and raised an eyebrow at the three. "I would ask how you entered, but given the brooms in your hand, I'll assume through a window."

"Seemed like the easiest way," Harry said with a shrug as he started walking back and forth in front of the appropriate tapestry.

"What are you- Where did that door come from?" McGonagall exclaimed.

"Let's all go inside so we're not so easily found, then Hermione can tell you," Harry said as he opened the door and waved them all in, then closed the door as Ginny came in last. She grabbed his hand as he led them into the huge room.

McGonagall looked around in wonder. "What is this place? I've never seen it before, and where did all of these things come from?"

"Dobby told us the elves call it the Come and Go room, but we call it the Room of Requirement," Hermione started. "We believe it was created by Rowena Ravenclaw and it can take any form of a room that you require. Harry? What did you request?"

"A room to hide things; this is probably the school's lost and found," he answered as he led them to a tall stack of items. At the bottom of it was a cabinet with the door partially open. He took the backpack off and opened it. First, he grabbed the Potions book he'd hidden there last year and placed it in the backpack. He still didn't like Snape, but he had to admit the man knew Potions well and so he wanted the book. Next he levitated the Diadem and went to move it to his backpack.

"Merciful, Merlin! Is that the Diadem of Ravenclaw?!" McGonagall asked excitedly.

"Yes, and you can't tell anyone," Harry told her as he dropped it into his bag. "If Riddle knew about this, we might fail in our task to kill him."

"But-" the professor started to object.

"Professor," Harry stopped her. "We'll do our best to return it to the school when the war is over, but for now, it must remain hidden and a secret from everyone - no exceptions." He stared at her, willing her to understand and agree.

It was a long moment, but she finally nodded. "Very well, Mr Potter, I'll trust you on this."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry told her relieved he wasn't going to have to stun her and have Hermione Obliviate her. He also pulled the Map out as they walked back towards the door. "No hurry, Filch is on the seventh floor now and we'll need to wait on him to go."

"How do you know?" McGonagall asked as she caught up with him hurriedly. "What is that?"

Harry almost tried to hide it, but then decided it probably didn't matter as he wasn't sure he'd ever return to school. "Did you know my father and his friends called themselves The Mauraders?"

"I found that out at the beginning of their seventh year. Why?" the teacher asked.

"They made this to help them with their pranks." He showed it to McGonagall while he noticed Ginny scowling at him. "Yeah, I know, but this task is more important," he told his girlfriend. Ginny didn't look like she agreed, but she didn't argue either. Hermione shook her head slightly.

"That's amazing, and to think they did this while in school." McGonagall shook her head now. "I can see how they avoided so much trouble with all the pranks they pulled." She gave him a stern look. "What about you, Mr Potter?"

"Me? I barely use the thing," he told her honestly. "It's helpful to avoid Filch when you're out only a few minutes after curfew. The most important thing about it to me is that it's one of the few things I have from my father and Sirius."

McGonagall started to say something and stopped while they stood near the door to the room and waited. Finally, she said, "I can understand that."

"I think Filch is far enough away we can go if we're quiet," he told her then had a thoughtful look. "Professor, do you have a broom in your room?"

"I do, why?"

"It might be useful for you to come with us into the Chamber of Secrets and you'll need a broom to exit," he explained.

She gave him the look she normally reserved for dense first years and pulled out her wand. "That's hardly required considering what's around us. There is almost certainly one here." After a wave of her wand, they all saw a broom head towards them. McGonagall caught it and tested it out by causing it to hold her up and fly slowly in circle. "This will work."

Ginny giggled and Harry chuckled to himself. "Good idea." He looked over. "Hermione, do you want your own or do you still want to share?"

"I'll ride with Ginny," the brunette answered.

Harry checked the Map. Snape was still in the Headmaster's office and Filch was still heading away going only he knew where in the almost empty castle. "Quietly," he admonished them and led them all out.

A few minutes later, he led them into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, or that's how he thought of it. Walking over to the sink, he hissed "Open" at it and was happy that ability still worked. He was a little concerned that he'd not have been able to do that after Death removed his link to Riddle, but either he had that trait through his family or his magic had absorbed any magic like this from Riddle. If this hadn't worked, he'd have had to blast the sinks open and repair them after.

"Someone lock the door and let's go." Harry watched McGonagall cast several advanced locking charms on the door while he mounted his broom.

With care, he lifted off and moved over to the large hole in the floor and nosed the broom down slightly to slowly descend in a much cleaner way than last time. It didn't take long before he realized he needed light, so he pulled out his wand and cast the light charm. Looking up, he saw Ginny and Hermione coming down, with Hermione providing light for them.

When all were down, Harry led them forward. He noticed that Ginny now had a very tight hold on his hand and he understood. "You can wait here if that's easier for you," he told her quietly.

"No, no, I need to face this," she replied though she also pulled her wand out but didn't cast the light charm.

Harry understood she wanted to be able to protect herself, even if it wasn't really needed. "Professor?" he called. "I think you could create a passage for us faster than any of us could."

"Of course." McGonagall stepped forward and let Harry's and Hermione's charms light the area. The three students were awed as she silently cast what looked like one long spell to have the rocks move and assemble themselves into an arch a little taller than they were. The woman looked proud of herself for a moment.

"Brilliant." "Awesome" Harry and Ginny gasped while Hermione just stood looking and probably vowing to learn how to do that based on her expression.

Harry walked through the arch and heard a gasp.

"That's huge!"

"That's a only shed skin," Harry told his professor before he stopped in front of the last door. "Ready?" he asked his girlfriend, who gave him a curt nod and raised her wand.

"Open," Harry hissed and the door did so, only for them to be hit with a breeze of putrid air. He turned away as fast as he could and stepped back. He saw McGonagall's wand in motion, tapping her head first then theirs as fast as she could. The decaying smell started to decrease as the Bubble-Head Charm started to protect them.

"Thank you, Professor," a muffled Hermione said first. The other two added their thanks quickly.

"Not much of a surprise, really," the teacher said in a muffled voice as she stepped forward through the door, wand at the ready. The lights in the chamber automatically lit and she stopped a few steps in and stared.

Harry let Hermione go next then followed, almost dragging Ginny who was walking very slowly and almost hiding behind him. She was normally so brave, but Harry could understand her fear here - he wasn't total fine either as the sight of the thing brought back memories of the fight for his life against it.

"You slew that with a sword?" McGonagall finally managed to say in a quiet voice.

"I did," he replied as he looked at Ginny and shook his hand a little. She got the message and let go so he could take the backpack off again. Opening it, he pulled out his dragonhide gloves from his Potions class out.

"I'm very impressed, Mr Potter," McGonagall told him with much admiration in her voice. "Merlin or someone was watching out for you that day."

"Fawkes was," Harry admitted as he pulled the gloves on. "Without him I would have been killed for sure."

"It was still a very Gryfindor thing to do," the teacher relied. "I believe I shall head up to keep watch if I can borrow that marvelous map of yours. I would suggest you take a look around to see if there is anything else of value here and take your time to search carefully as I doubt you'll be able to return until after the war is over."

"I can start that," Hermione said and looked around for a good place to begin.

"I'll help," Ginny chimed in, looking glad to move away from the dead beast and the memories it obviously invoked in her.

Harry carefully fished the Map out and handed it over.

"Mr Potter," McGonagall said, stopping him before he really started to work to pull the remaining teeth. "The body may be rotting, but the venom will still be potent and there is no Phoenix to help you this time."

"It's why I have the gloves, Professor."

"The skin won't rot either," she continued, "so when this war is over, plan to return and salvage that. It would make great armor and shields, if you can find the craftsmen with the knowledge."

"That's good to know, thanks!" Seeing her leave, Harry turned to the snake. Doing his best to not think about the memories of the fight and the fear he'd felt, he started to pull the teeth and place them in a special box Hermione had charmed this afternoon to hold them.

By the time he was done the girls had searched half the chamber and found nothing so far. Neither was willing to go into the open mouth of the statue, so he pulled up his courage and looked in. It was a large room with sand on the floor and the bones of a few animals he couldn't begin to identify, but that was all. There were no other exits; it was just a room in rock.

By the time the three had finished searching, they were all quite tired and ready to go home. "Let's go," Harry said and started leading them out, closing the door to the main chamber when all were out. He decided it was safe enough, so he cancelled the Bubblehead charms on each of them. Carefully, he flew up and Hermione continued to ride behind Ginny.

The sinks were still open so he flew out and landed, then blinked at the sight he found. McGonagall was standing in front of a tall table while Flitwick stood on a chair; each was writing furiously while holding their wand in their off-hand.

"Greetings, Mr Potter," Flitwick said as the girls came into the room, "and Miss Granger and Miss Weasley."

"Not to be rude, Professor Flitwick, but why are you here?" Harry asked, slowly pulling his wand out.

"I called him," McGonagall said as she turned to face him. "I've also sworn him to secrecy about your presence here tonight. He also only knows that you've visited the Chamber of Secrets for your own purposes."

"But why?" Harry persisted.

Flitwick stopped writing and turned. "Because Professor McGonagall quite correctly called me to take advantage of a situation. I'm sure you've been told what we'll be facing this coming year. Have you considered how difficult it will be to keep the students safe, or even ourselves?"

"I understand there will be others like Snape here, but no," Harry admitted, "I haven't considered anything about it. I just found out a few hours ago and haven't really had the time."

"Completely understandable," Flitwick continued, "but I can tell you it will be horribly difficult and you've presented a way to make it much safer with this map. It's simply brilliant. I've almost worked out how it was done."

Harry just blinked and stood frozen, thinking that his father and Sirius must be turning over in their graves at the thought of the professors having a copy of the Map. "But…" He wanted to object but couldn't find the words to express how he really felt.

McGonagall walked over, wand still in her left hand and in rare gesture placed her right hand on his shoulder. "Mr Potter. I fully realize I have taken advantage of you in this matter and I offer my deepest apologies for doing so. However, I felt this was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up once I understood what it was capable of.

"While," she paused and looked pained for a moment, "Headmaster Snape says he's on our side, he will have to continue his act for the two other Death Eaters who will be here, not to mention the handful of students who will also have the Dark Mark. If we are to protect the others, some of which are your friends, we will need all the help we can get."

McGonagall paused again and took a deep breath. "I don't want to do this, but I'll offer to destroy our notes and pretend we never saw this magical artifact if you insist, but for the sake of your friends who will be here and those of us who will do our best to take care of and protect them, please let us continue."

Flitwick turned and gave him a pleading look. "I will only make three, with the other going to Professor Sprout and we will hide and guard these with our lives. I shudder to think what would happen if one of the Death Eaters got ahold of one."

"That is my fear as well," Harry said slowly and then looked at his two friends. Hermione nodded quickly, which was not surprising. Ginny took longer but finally nodded as well. "Do you have what you need now?"

"I believe so," Flitwick said before picking up the map and staring at in longingly before handing it over.

"I would suggest a conversation with Remus Lupin," Harry said as he took the Map, hastily scanning it to make sure no one else was around. "He did help make it."

Flitwick's eyes lit and he smiled brightly. "Thank you, Mr Potter; I shall do that as soon as I can arrange it in the next few days."

"Thank you, Mr Potter," McGonagall told him, looking very grateful.

"If you don't mind, we need to leave," Harry told them all and looked at the girls. "The corridor is clear and there is a window at the end." Looking back, "Take care, Professors."

"You as well, Mr Potter," McGonagall gave him a nod off her head and unlocked the door. Flitwick gave him a short bow from the waist

With one more glance at the Map before he put it away, Harry led the teens out. Soon they were flying away to the cave again, then Apparated to the back door of the house.

They had barely landed when Ginny threw herself at Harry and clung to him tightly. "Hold me and don't let go for a long time," she begged him.

"Let's get inside," he told her and shuffled them in through the doorway with Hermione coming in last and locking the door. Once inside, Harry Apparated the couple to their room.

— — —

Hermione shook her head at the two, but couldn't really fault their reactions. She'd been petrified during their ordeal, but she'd heard the story in detail. Now that she'd seen the basilisk… She shook her head again at the absurdity as she grabbed everything she needed for tea before heading upstairs.

Stopping by the library to search for a new book to read, even if it was late, she spied the Resurrection Stone on the table. She didn't really want to leave it there, but also knew she couldn't take it to Harry at the moment either. He must have left it there after using it earlier.

Searching for a book, she found one that looked somewhat interesting, but before she could leave, she looked at the Stone and wondered. If she could talk to anyone who was dead, who would she talk to? There were so many possibilities.

Without even thinking about what she was doing, she set everything in her hands on the table and picked up the Stone, just to look at it. In many ways it was plain, and she couldn't even feel magic from it. Did it even really work, she wondered.

Again, without thought, she turned it over like she'd seen Harry do and said, "Rowena Ravenclaw."

* * *

**[Wed - Aug 13]**

Harry held Ginny's hand as they walked down the stairs to breakfast. They'd held each other, cried with each other over lost innocence and getting beyond his second and her first year, and even had an amazing make-out session in the end - feeling closer to each other than ever.

Now, they just felt at ease ... and tired. Each were dressed comfortably and if Harry had his way, and as the defacto leader he planned to, they were going to have a light day. No studies or fight training, but maybe talking about a few things, definitely nothing stressful.

As they reached the bottom landing, they heard a voice talking. Harry would have pulled out his wand but he recognized Hermione's voice. They walked quietly towards the library and looked around the edge of the door to see their friend talking animatedly to no one. Ginny looked at him quizzically, but he knew what was happening.

"That wasn't true either?" Hermione exclaimed. "This is so not fair. What about the crystal cave?"

Harry stepped fully into the room and said, "Hermione?" as he held out his hand. He'd been lax with the Stone yesterday, it wouldn't happen again.

The brunette's head jerked around, her blood-shot eyes going wide. "Harry?"

He flexed his fingers in a come here motion before extending his hand a little closer to her.

"But I was having the most lovely conversations. I've talked to all the founders. Ravenclaw was the best but even Slytherin was nice to me. Dumbledore wouldn't say much and told me he didn't have to answer me because I wasn't the true owner of the Stone. But Merlin has been so helpful in straightening out all the myths about himself," she gushed.

"Hermione," he said a little more forcefully. "Don't make me take it from you. It's not yours and I don't want you to hurt yourself with it, so hand it over."

She looked down at her left hand as it opened and looked at the golden stone. Looking to her right, she smiled. "Thank you for talking to me, I really enjoyed it." Then with what looked like great effort, she held the Stone out between her thumb and forefinger, but couldn't seem to place it in his hand.

Harry took the Stone and put it in his pocket and watched her drop her arm and seem to deflate. Looking around and paying attention this time, he saw multiple cups sitting within arm's reach and a few crumbs on a plate from what was probably a sandwich.

Kneeling down, he grabbed her shoulders. "Stand up, Hermione," he told her gently. "Go to the bathroom and refresh yourself then come down to breakfast. I was planning a light day and that's definitely true for you after you stayed up all night. Sleep this morning and we'll wake you for a late lunch. Come on." He lifted and she struggled to her feet. "Go on," he told her a little more firmly as he gave her a gentle push.

Ginny watched as their friend shuffled down the hallway. "I can't believe she did that."

"I can," he replied with a sigh. "I'm not going to be upset with her; it's my fault for leaving the Stone out like that. I'm glad she wasn't so hooked yet that I had to take it from her with force."

"What about you?" she asked as they walked towards the kitchen.

"You noticed I use it sparingly, only when I have to - well, except for the first time I talked to my parents and to Sirius. I also keep the conversations short and don't talk for hours." In the kitchen, he started setting the table as she started on the meal. "The cloak seems fairly safe for some reason, because it's only for defense I suppose; but the others, I actually try not to use too much."

"I noticed you had your normal wand last night," Ginny commented as she cooked.

"True, and I'll continue that normally. I'll use the Elder Wand when we're going to do something potential dangerous so I have every advantage," he told her.

Hermione walked into the kitchen slowly and sat down. She ate slowly too. At the end of breakfast, Ginny guided her friend up to her own bedroom before returning to Harry. Yesterday had been relaxing until the evening. Today would be a slow one too. But tomorrow they'd have to return to their schedule.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

[Tue - Aug 19]

Harry watched Hermione fret, even to the point of being unable to keep her hands still, while Ginny charmed her hair a light brown. He was already a blond again.

"I should go," Hermione said hurriedly, almost a little panicky. "I can be a distraction if something happens."

"We've talked about this," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders to ensure he had her undivided attention. "You'd have no backup. If it all goes wrong, you won't be anywhere near us so we can help you. Also, we've all grown so three of us don't fit under the Cloak as well as we used to, should we have to use it. Also, only Ginny and I have practiced together."

"But we could ask Remus to be my partner," the brunette protested.

"Who'll be busy causing a distraction I asked for in about two hours," he replied. "We got this."

"Harry-"

"Hermione," he said raising his voice to get her to stop before he continued on in a more normal tone. "You've helped us plan this and you've thought of things that we hadn't; that's important and your contribution. Ginny and I will handle the execution. Don't forget that your idea to ask Bill about the least busy time was brilliant."

She threw herself at him and hugged him tightly. "I just want you to come back."

"We will," he assured her as she pulled back and then hugged Ginny as tightly.

"We'll be fine," Ginny assured her too before she gave a pleading look to her boyfriend.

"The clock is ticking and we have to go. We'll be back in two and a half or three hours." Harry started leading Ginny to the back door.

"Careful, Harry," Hermione warned. "Don't forget we saw watchers on the street in front of the house yesterday. Bellatrix Lastrange knows the house is near here and sent them."

"I haven't forgotten," he assured her again.

Outside the backdoor on the small porch they raised the hood of their cloaks before Ginny took his hand. "When did she become such a worry-wart?"

"She just doesn't want to be left out," he said and then Apparated them both to the Apparation point in Diagon Alley. They walked together but not holding hands so they'd have the ability to pull out their wands quickly if required. Ginny had a purse with a strap over one shoulder with the pouch resting on her opposite hip.

Doing their best to look around without looking like they were looking, Harry saw a few others walking quickly as they went about their business. What worried him was two others.

"See the two men standing around over there on the left?" he whispered to his companion. "No Death Eater masks, but standing around at eight in the morning seems unusual."

"There's another on the right," she returned, her hood not moving. "This is still probably our best chance."

"Agreed, but be ready for anything."

"If we can get in, we should be safe," she said. "Bill said no spells inside, none at all if we value our lives."

"Definitely haven't forgotten that," he said with a grimace. They were taking all kinds of chances this morning, but no risk no gain, or so the saying went.

They mounted the steps to the Goblin run bank and then breathed a small sigh of relief as they crossed the threshold. Yet, that had been just the first dangerous part, he thought.

There was one teller without a line, so they walked to him, leaving their hoods up. "I need to speak to an Account Manager about a service," Harry spoke quietly.

The Goblin looked at him then rang a little bell once and another Goblin came over. "They want an Account Manager," the teller said in a bored tone before turning back to his work.

The guide looked at them and said, "Come," before turning and walking away. Harry and Ginny followed silently, the two other Wizards in the lobby were busy with their own teller and seemed to pay them no mind, to the pair's relief.

While they had to wait a few moments in a small room, Harry pulled out some parchment now so the Goblin wouldn't think he was reaching for a wand. An older Goblin came in, different than the last time he'd needed an Account Manager. "What do you need?" asked the surly Goblin.

"I understand that as Head of House Black, I can request a family member's vault be searched for a family heirloom." Harry placed the parchment on the desk in front of the Goblin. "There's the description of it and a crude drawing based on my memory of it. I believe it to be in the vault of Bellatrix Lastrange nee Black." He hoped Sirius was correct on this.

The Goblin's eyes narrowed. "You are the Head of House Black, so this service is permitted. There will be a one thousand Galleon fee for the search, and another two thousand Galleon fine if we do not find that in her vault. Are you still willing to do this?"

"Yes," intoned Harry, his heart racing.

"How will you pay for it?"

"I wish to survey the Black family vault, so I will retrieve the funds from there." Harry did his best to force his voice to remain calm. Ginny's hand suddenly found his, which he appreciated, but that also indicated he probably wasn't as calm as he'd hoped.

Staring for a moment more, the Goblin reached into a drawer of the desk and pulled out a form before closing the drawer again. Using the quill and ink on the desk, he filled in a few fields then slid the form to Harry.

Harry turned it around, placing it so Ginny could lean forward and read it too as he checked it. "Any objections?" he whispered, though was easily heard in the quiet room.

"None," she replied as she sat back up.

Harry grabbed the quill that had been placed in front of him and signed the form before sliding it back to the Goblin.

The Goblin grabbed the form and the parchment with the item's description. "Come," he snarled as he hurried out of the room, though Harry and Ginny could keep up if they took long strides.

The Account Manager shouted something in his own language at their guide from earlier, who scampered away. A moment later they were at the carts that went to the vaults where two guards with spears and the younger guide joined them. Harry and Ginny had to sit in the front with the manager while the other three Goblins sat in the back. The teens held hands to comfort each other, but otherwise stayed silent.

Harry felt something as the cart raced through a ring-like device around the track and cart. Looking at Ginny, he noticed that her hair was red again and the glamour on her face was gone. Ginny looked alarmed as she looked at him. He assumed the device had stripped their disguises. Without being able to reapply them inside the bank, their mission became a whole lot more dangerous. He wondered why Bill hadn't told them about this and could only assume Bill hadn't known or couldn't talk about it because it was a security measure.

Eventually they stopped and the Manager said, "Everyone out." He walked up to a door and did some magic on it, causing it to open. "Survey your vault and count out the fee. No spells in the bank. We will return shortly." He and their guide returned to the cart and left; the guards stayed and watched them closely.

Harry led Ginny into the vault. "Want to count the money?" he asked.

"Sure, something I've never done before and may never get to again … especially considering I might not live beyond this," she said breezily before she sat down next to a pile of Galleons and made a stack of ten, then made more stacks the same height.

Great, gallows humor, he thought sarcastically, made all the more surreal because of the nugget of truth in her statement. Knowing he needed to do it, he started walking around and examining everything in detail to see what he could find in the vault.

Probably five minutes later, or so he estimated, he'd returned from walking around the entire inside and knelt down next to Ginny. She was working on the sixth row of ten stacks of ten, so she was over half done. He started stacking coins too, but adding rows on the other side.

"Find anything useful, like a magic sword that slays all enemies in sight?" she bantered as if she hadn't a care in the world.

"Yes, but you have to sacrifice a virgin for every use," he replied. "Didn't seem too useful since I'd like to keep you around."

She snorted in amusement. "There's always Hermione," she quipped.

"Sacrificing your sister doesn't seem right," he returned, continuing the dark humor.

"I'd suggest Pansy Parkinson, but I doubt she qualifies."

"Ouch!" he exclaimed mockingly.

While she worked on the ninth row and he started the tenth, she whispered, "How are we going to get out of the shopping area alive without our disguises?"

"I'm working on that," he said quietly.

When she finished, she moved away so she didn't inadvertently knock the stacks of coins over.

He joined her and put an arm around her shoulders. "I love her dearly, but I'm glad it's you here and not her. As Ron said, she's scarily smart, but you think and act faster with unknown situations"

"Thanks," she replied. "The Cloak, I assume?"

"Yeah, my thought too," he told her. "As soon as we're outside, silent Disillusionment charms on at least our lower halves, in case the Cloak gets kicked up. There are stairs outside the main doors."

"Silencing on the feet, silently of course," she added. "Glad we've practiced walking together. Where do we go though? The Apparation Point is a long way from here and it'd be far too easy for someone to run into us."

Harry considered that for a long moment. "Summer before my second year…" He trailed off as they heard the cart stopping outside. "Grab some coins for your purse while we're here." He watched her throw a few handfuls of Galleons only into her purse and secure the top as he stood and waited for the Goblin account manager.

The other two Goblins walked in and the Manager looked a little upset as he held out a small cup with the picture of a badger on it. "Your heirloom. The fee?"

Harry pointed to the stacks of coins and then took the Cup, placing it in an inside pocket of his normal cloak. They watched as their guide pulled out a bag, checked their work quickly, then did some magic that caused all the designated coins to move into the sack in his hand.

"I'd also like to see the Potter family vault while I'm here," Harry told them, trying hard not to be too demanding.

The Manager didn't look happy but didn't object either. After the Black vault was closed, they all rode to the Potter vault a short distance away. The Goblin manager opened this vault too.

Harry and Ginny walked around. "About like the other one," he commented. "Money, some jewelry," he stopped at a narrow shelf and picked up an envelope, read the description on it, and put it back down. "And some boring looking documents that don't mean much to me now but I'll probably have to figure out some day. No magical swords or other weapons, no talking portraits, and…" he paused before adding the last part a little bitterly, "no letters to me telling me family secrets or even that they loved me."

Ginny threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I doubt they had time with a war on," she told him. "I'm sure they loved you dearly."

He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "I know they did because they said so when I called them back, but it still would have been nice to have read about it. Time?"

She looked at the watch on her wrist since he'd never replaced his. "It's almost ten."

He nodded. "Time to go then. One last hard part left." He led them out of the vault and they took a ride back up to the lobby.

As they entered the main lobby, Harry saw a vaguely familiar wizard look at him and smirk before he walked out the door. "Well, crap!" he breathed.

Ginny pulled him over to the wall the door was on so they couldn't be seen from the outside. "That Account Manager looks a little too pleased with our predicament," she groused.

Harry stole a glance. "I agree, but not much I can do at the moment. We really need to look outside and get a read on what's waiting for us without them knowing."

"Not that I know them, but I believe there's a spell or two for that, if we could only use them." She looked at him. "I'm sorry, but I'm drawing a blank other than just putting the Cloak on and going for it. Sort of like how we broke into Umbridge's office a couple of years ago."

"What'd you tell me then?" He grinned a little. "Anything is possible if you have enough nerve?"

"Something like that," she answered with her own grin. "Where did you plan to go, since you didn't get to say?"

"Remember the summer before my second year? It was the first time I'd use the Floo Network. I went from your house to Knockturn Alley accidentally."

Her eyes went wide. "Seriously?" she asked in a hoarse whisper. "You want us to go there? With all that's going on? And you know they're waiting on us outside?"

"It is nearby and they won't expect that," he replied as he pulled the Invisibility Cloak out of a large pocket from inside his normal cloak. His hand also touched something else and he froze.

"What? You just had an idea, didn't you?"

He knew this was going to be a dangerous mission, so he'd brought all three of Death's heirlooms. Pulling out the Stone, he held it so only she could see it.

"If he can look through a wall, that's bloody brilliant!" she told him in an excited whisper, causing him to nod at guessing his plan.

He turned the Stone over and whispered, "Sirius. Hey, we're in a real bind. Can you look through that wall and tell me about Death Eaters or anyone else we need to avoid and where they are? You can? Please!"

He looked at her. "He says he can walk through the wall like a ghost as long as he doesn't go too far from me."

Harry looked back at nothing for a minute before nodding. "Right. Give us a moment to get ready."

He held out the Cloak for her and she snuggled in in front of him as he told her, "Sirius says they're obvious and somewhat ringed around the area. No masks, but he recognizes a few of them as Death Eaters. There's only one near the bank and one by the entrance to Knockturn Alley that are in our way. He's going to lead us. Remember the signals?" He felt her heart racing, the fast beats against his arm that held her close. He was sure his heart was racing too, not only from the danger but from the excitement.

"I do," she replied as she put her hand over his hand that was around her stomach. "Left foot first as always. You do the Disillusionment and I'll do the Silencing on our feet."

"Right." Harry pulled a little out on her hand and started walking slowly starting with his left foot.

"Mr Potter?! You forgot something!" the Account Manager called out, clearly heard throughout the lobby and almost certainly out the main doors.

"That was definitely on purpose," Harry growled almost silently near her ear.

Five steps later they were out the doors. Elder wand in hand, Harry did his charm and felt the Cloak move a little indicating Ginny was doing hers. Slowly they walked around the Goblin guard and went to the right to be next to the wall of the bank.

Harry would have rolled his eyes at his godfather if this wasn't life and death. The "specter" of the man was standing in front of the Death Eater they were walking toward and making faces as well as shouting insults that only Harry could hear.

Ginny pressed on his hand and he had to stop. He knew she wanted to go around the Death Eater who was looking right at them as he watched the bank door, but Harry didn't. He desperately wanted a distraction. Signaling Ginny with a hand motion, they took two more steps before he pulled back on her stomach and she stopped so quickly he almost lost his balance.

They were now less than an arm's length away. That it was Dolohov just made this so much better; he thought of it as payback for what the man had done to Hermione at the end of their fifth year.

Moving ever so slowly, he brought the Elder Wand up to the overlapped opening of the Cloak and barely stuck the tip of the wand out before he whispered, "_Imperio_." The spell that looked like rolling air was almost invisible. He felt Ginny's entire body stiffen, but she didn't otherwise move or say a word, for which he was thankful. It didn't take long before he felt the magic take hold as the Death Eater lost the battle of wills, so he pulled the tip of his wand back under the Cloak.

Now he had to hope the Goblin guard about six steps behind them couldn't hear, even if he'd be speaking softly. "You will count to ten slowly then walk to the bottom of the steps in front of the doorway and start casting Cutting curses at all you know to be Death Eaters. After they're all down, turn around and cast Blasting curses into the bank aiming for the ceiling. After the ceiling comes down you will go home." Harry was sure the man would never finish all of his first task and so wouldn't ever be casting into the bank.

About ten seconds later, the man stared walking away on his mission. Harry gave the signal and the pair started walking slowly again. They took the stairs so slowly they were only on the second before Dolohov started firing curses. Technically, they weren't in the way, but Harry still watched out for stray spells until he had an idea.

"Sirius," he called softly. "Tell me when a spell is coming our way. Say stop, forward, or duck."

As they reached the bottom step, he heard Sirius call out and he whispered, "Duck!" to Ginny. They squatted down and almost fell over; it was something they'd never practiced. He was glad they had dropped though because they were showered with rock chips from whatever spell had gone astray. Hurriedly, he wiggled the Cloak to dislodge any rock pieces or dust that might have landed on them and would give them away because it would appear to be floating for no apparent reason.

"Up slowly," he whispered. Looking around as they stood again, he saw his controlled Death Eater barely staying on his feet and dodging as several others, also bloodied, cast spells at him. The Goblin guards were also no longer at their posts; they'd probably pulled back inside the bank he thought.

Giving the signal to Ginny, they started walking again towards their destination.

"There's one more ahead by the entrance to Knockturn Alley," he heard Sirius say. Looking around Ginny's head, he saw it to be true just as she signaled to him with her hand on his to move a little right, obviously seeing the man firing at his companion in front of the bank. Fortunately, he didn't see anyone in Knockturn Alley looking this way; they were probably avoiding the fight too.

"_Stop!_" Sirius shouted and Harry pulled back on Ginny quickly, just in time to see a curse hit the wall two steps in front of them before another curse hit the man they were about to go around. The man fell, hands on his stomach trying to stop the bleeding to little effect.

Glancing back, Harry saw Dolohov fall to the ground. With their way clear and the mystery behind them serving as a good distraction, he whispered, "As fast as we can without being seen." They started walking an almost normal speed, which was twice as fast as before.

They stopped in front of the door to Borgin and Burkes, which had a sign that said "Open" - thankfully. "Sirius, a quick check please." He watched the ghost-like figure walk through the door and then come back out a moment later.

"_Just the old man behind the counter_."

"Thanks, Sirius, for your help. I'll see you later." Harry dropped the Stone into his pocket.

"I better be the one visible," Ginny told him before she squeezed his hand and stepped out from under the Cloak, hastily doing a Coloring charm and turning her hair black. He hastily cancelled the disillusionment on her lower half so she was all there. His front felt cold now; he'd become used to her body being pressed against him.

She opened the door, leaving it open for a extra moment before pushing it closed. Acting as if she really did belong there, she started looking at the items but generally headed toward the fireplace.

"Can I help you, young lady?" the old man asked with suspicion in his voice and a steely gaze Harry noticed.

"I was looking for something that appeared ordinary but was slightly cursed," she replied while still looking the items over. "There is a young man who won't leave me alone."

"There might be one or two items that qualify," he said as he came out from behind the counter.

As he walked past Harry, Harry poked his wand out again and silently cast, "_Stupify_," watching the old man drop to the ground.

"_Accio_ _Floo Powder,_" Ginny cast and caught a jar that came sailing to her from behind the counter where the old man had been.

Meanwhile, Harry had taken his Cloak off and put it away in his normal cloak and hurried over to join her as he made his lower half fully visible again. He really wanted to torch this place, but didn't want to make that big of a statement that he'd been here, plus it might damage other stores which he didn't want.

Ginny held the bowl of powder out to him. "Where to, other than home which we shouldn't advertise?"

"Three Broomsticks?" he suggested. "Seems like a common enough place and it's away from here."

She tossed the Floo Powder in her hand into the fireplace; after the flames turned green, she stepped in and called out, "The Three Broomsticks", and was off.

Harry saw a Vanishing Cabinet and out of spite for what Draco Malfoy had done last year, even if this probably wasn't the one Malfoy had used, Harry cast a Blasting hex at the cabinet before he tossed his Floo Powder into the fireplace and followed his girlfriend.

Rolling out of the fireplace at the pub in Hogsmeade, he was surprised to see spells being cast here, with Ginny holding a shield in front of him.

"Harry, end this!" she hissed as she dropped her shield and conjured a hunk of rock to block a curse with purple flames coming at them, another reminder of their fight in the Department of Mysteries a couple of years ago.

He stepped to the right and dropped to one knee as he cast Piercing curses at two people in Death Eater masks across the room who looked surprised to see him. Another curse went flying in the same direction but to a third that had just popped his head up from behind his own table. Looking, he saw Remus Lupin trying to take shelter behind what was now a very battered table.

Another piercing curse to the last Death Eater standing, and a Cutting curse from Ginny ended the fight.

Looking around to make sure there were no other Death Eaters here, he saw a very damaged place and only Lupin was here with them. "So you against all of those?" asked Harry surprised the man would try this purposefully.

"Yes, they arrived about a minute before you did and surprised me," Lupin answered and then cast a charm at the fireplace, causing the fire to go out.

"Glad you didn't do that sooner," Harry told him and Ginny nodded.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked them. "You said you were going to be in Diagon Alley doing something very important."

"We were," Ginny answered for them, "then Death Eaters showed up there so we escaped here."

Lupin shook his head. "Guess the distraction wasn't as helpful as you hoped."

"At least you kept some here," Harry retorted. "Can we leave from outside?" He knew all establishments had wards to prevent people from leaving from the inside, lest they skip paying.

"Only if you're careful, Moody and the rest are out there as are more Death Eaters." Lupin looked out a window. "The wards extend at least three meters out, so exit and go left and around to the side so you can leave from there as it'll be more sheltered. You'll be seen too easily if try to go far enough away out front."

"Cloak again?" Ginny asked.

"I think just run," Harry answered. He also dug Hufflepuff's Cup out and held it by the bottom in his left hand. It had been digging into his thigh and making it sore. Standing by the door he asked, "Ready?" Getting a nod from each of the other two, Harry yanked the door open and lunged through the doorway.

A glance right saw spell fire from the right side of the building, what he assumed Lupin saw before and why he'd been told to go left. Moody and a few others were near the center of the square and pinned down behind some conjured rocks and a statue of Merlin, or so it appeared with what little time he had to look.

Racing around the front of the building, he turned the corner to take at least some shelter there and almost ran into a mask covered Death Eater who was starting to say, "Kedavra!" Out of desperation, he held up the cup in his hand practically in front of the Death Eater's wand as the spell was finished, letting the spell go into the cup's mouth and hit the bottom of the inside of the cup while he cast a silent Piercing hex and hit the very surprised man in the throat, not that he could have missed from an arm's length away. Fortunately, the scream from the cup was all but hidden in the noise and chaos of the fight in the area.

Since no one else was in front of him, he turned and saw Ginny and Lupin join him and lean against the wall like he was and take deep breaths. "Was he already dead?" Lupin asked as he looked out into the main square to make sure no one was casting their way.

"No, but he's not a problem now. Want to hit the ones on the other side from the back?" asked Harry.

"Might as well since you're here," replied Lupin. "That'd help Moody and the others."

"Why haven't they Apparated away?" Ginny asked as she also kept a watch for spells being cast at them.

"They're the distraction you wanted," answered Remus. "Let's go around quietly. I'll take those on the right, Ginny you have the center, those on the left are yours Harry." He moved at a fast walk past the teens and hurried around to the back of the building with the two teens following. He only paused at the other corner, checking to make sure none of the Death Eaters where looking this way.

Lupin hurried out away from the building and Ginny followed. As soon as Harry cleared the corner, Lupin started casting as did Ginny, with Harry a fraction of a second after them. The Death Eaters hadn't been expecting this and it was like target practice. The four Death Eaters went down almost instantly.

"Get out of here now!" Remus commanded. "I'm telling everyone else to leave too."

Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and ran away from the pub. As soon as he could, he Apparated them to the back porch where they slammed into the back door, Harry taking the brunt of it and Ginny slamming into him.

She looked at Harry and grinned, who grinned back. "That was a rush!" Grabbing his head in both hands, she started snogging him. His hands went to her back and held her to him before the one without the cup in it started to roam up and down.

He had no idea what had happened because one second he was in the snog of his life and the next he was falling, landing on his back with Ginny landing on top of him - both issuing an "Umph!" before Ginny added, "What the bloody 'ell?"

Harry looked up and saw 'the tower of Hermione' looking down at them crossly. "What are you doing out there when you're supposed to be on an important mission? Did you get it and are you hurt?"

He looked at Ginny who was staring at him with wide eyes before she started to giggle nearly uncontrollably. That set him off laughing at the absurdity of it all, not to mention the relief of coming out of several nearly fatal situations in a short time.

When Ginny finally started to get control of herself and he thought she was giving him a hungry look like she wanted to start snogging him again, he did the only thing he could do. He threw the cup straight up into the air towards Hermione and then Apparated them to his bedroom.

— — —

As it flew up at her face, Hermione bobbled the cup twice before she caught it, then almost dropped it as the pair at her feet left in a crack. All she could do for a moment was gawk at the place they had been. After a brief moment, she realized they were truly gone and she wasn't going to get a verbal answer from them for a while, based on the look she'd seen on Harry's face as he looked at Ginny just before they'd left.

Closing the door, she started looking at the cup as she sat at the kitchen table. It was really an interesting looking piece and it looked just like Helga Hufflepuff had described it to her. But what condition was it in? Examining it further and turning it around and over, she noticed that the inside was all scorched as if it'd been in a fire.

Was it still a Horcrux, she wondered. There was no compulsion to do anything to it that she felt. Setting it down, she cast a spell to see if it contained magic, and it lit up. So it was still a magical artifact, but was it still a Horcrux? She had no idea how to tell for she'd never found a spell to detect that and Harry had never mentioned anything about that from Dumbledore either.

Sighing, she placed the cup in the middle of the table and stared at it, reviewing all the spells she knew and trying to determine how to tell if it was still tainted or was clean of the evil spirit Riddle had put into it. Harry had had to stab the locket twice since he hadn't opened it, making her wonder if the basilisk venom was going weak. He'd also stabbed the metal part of the Ravenclaw's Diadem - though only once. Both had squealed like a wounded Banshee.

Hermione had repaired the Diadem after that but had not felt anything when she'd put it on, making her wonder if the artifact had been damaged even though the blue stone in it hadn't been touched, or if it just didn't work for her because she wasn't Ravenclaw's descendant, or something else she wasn't thinking of. She hadn't thought to ask Ravenclaw that before, so she'd have to get Harry to do so later.

"What to do," she muttered to herself as she stared at it … only to jump as if hexed when there was a loud knocking on the back door.

Wand in hand, she walked over cautiously, though no one unknown should have been able to get there to knock. Opening the door a crack, she saw Ron standing here, his face looking a little sweaty. "Come in," she told him as she opened the door wider.

"Thanks! Got something to drink?" he asked, going to the cold cabinet and not waiting for an answer.

Seeing him do that, Hermione didn't answer and returned to the table.

"What's that for?" he asked, waving the Butterbeer bottle at the cup on the table before he opened the bottle, sat, and took a long drink.

"Not that I mind, but what are you doing here?" she asked him.

He set the now half-empty bottle on the table. "Just got back from Hogsmeade, where Moody staged the distraction Harry asked for. Heard he was there when he said he'd be in Diagon Alley; so I wanted to know what happened to his plan? And you didn't answer about the cup?"

She blinked at him for a moment as it registered that he'd asked only with curiosity and not a hint of complaint or accusation, as the Ron she'd known a year ago would have.

"The cup is what they went after," she answered finally with a small wave towards it.

"Is it, you know, one of _them_?"

"Yes, but I can't tell if it's still active or not," she told him a little grumpily at not knowing that. "I'm not sure even how to tell." She shook her head. "I'm still amazed at how little the Headmaster told Harry. There are so many things we should have been told."

"Yeah, I agree with that. Still, it's going faster than Harry told me at the beginning," he said with a slight frown. "Doesn't look like it's going to take months after all."

Hermione shrugged. "I can't really say. I'll admit we've been doing very well so far, but all the easy ones are done and there's no plan for the rest. I don't know what we're going to do."

Ron finished his Butterbeer and set the bottle down as he looked back at the cup with deep contemplation. "I guess Harry will figure something out, with your help obviously - it always works that way."

She looked at him and was again amazed at the changes in him and wondered how that had happened.

"How are they? Lupin said they weren't hurt." Ron looked at her and waited very patiently.

Hermione looked away, trying to figure out what was going on with him. "They're fine as far as I know. They, uh, they came back here, tossed the cup at me and left. Despite how worried I've been this morning, I have no idea what happened." Indignation started to come out in her voice the more she started to think about what had happened and how they had acted upon their return.

"What do you mean? What happened?" he asked with confusion.

"I was here in the kitchen waiting when I heard a crash from something hitting the back door," she explained. "Scared me out of my wits, like when you knocked a few minutes ago."

He grinned at her but didn't apologize.

"When I realized they weren't coming in," she continued, "I got up to check and when I opened the back door, they fell in because they had been leaning against it."

"So?" he asked, not getting it.

"They fell because they were so occupied snogging," she said, grumpy again.

Ron just stared at her for a moment before he started to laugh.

"It's not funny!" she told him crossly. "I was sick with worry and they come back and immediately start snogging."

Managing to control himself, he asked, "Do they do often, you know, snog in front of you?"

"Actually not," she had to admit, which cooled her temper a little. "In fact, they're surprisingly considerate that way. Hold hands, yes; a head on a lap or cuddling, yes; and yes to the occasional quick kiss. Full on snogging, no."

"Not something I really want to think about, but that doesn't sound so bad." He leaned closer. "Heard Mum and Dad arguing a few times about Ginny being over here. Mum's afraid they're shagging, though she doesn't say it that way. Somehow Dad manages to calm her down, but I can tell she still worries a little."

"Not really my place to pry, but I have asked and they deny it," she said a little meekly.

Ron rose and picked up his empty bottle threw it away. "Tell Harry to come by when he's free so we can talk about what's next."

"Was anyone in the Order hurt today?" she had to ask, hoping the answer was no.

Ron shrugged the question off. "A few cuts and burns that are easily healed, nothing major or life threatening. We got lucky really."

"That's good to hear," Hermione returned before jumping up as he headed for the door. She stopped him with "Ron?" When he turned, she asked, "You're different."

"I am?" he queried and sounded shocked.

"You are. Why?"

He blinked at her for a moment. "Don't know. Been doing homework with Mum," he made a face at that. "Also spent some time with Dad since he isn't going into the Ministry every day. We've had a few interesting talks, but nothing that we haven't done before. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," she replied, not sure why she'd even asked. "Take care, Ron."

"You too," he returned and walked out the back door before Apparating away.

She locked the backdoor and started on making lunch while she thought about the conversation she'd just had. In many ways, it was the most normal and pleasant one she'd ever had with Ron when Harry wasn't around.

When she'd finished making a simple lunch because it was her week to cook, she went ahead and ate though the others weren't here, because she had no idea when they'd come. She wasn't sure what her friends were doing, probably upstairs, and decided that she really didn't want to know - mostly.

— — —

Nearly an hour after she'd finished lunch, Harry and Ginny came into the kitchen in different clothes than they'd worn this morning, and Harry's hair was still damp though Ginny's looked like it did in the mornings.

"What's available to warm up? We're famished," Harry proclaimed.

"I made tuna sandwiches and salad," she replied and then watched the two dig food out and setting the table, working well together so they were eating in minimal time.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, not able to wait any more.

The two started to explain alternating when the other had taken a bite. Hermione thought she was going to hyperventilate when they got to the part about having to escape the bank and Diagon Alley, only to run into another fight in Hogsmeade.

"Then we came home," ended Harry as he leaned back in his chair, having just finished his lunch. Ginny was already done so she leaned against him and he put his arm around her.

"What happened on the back porch?" she asked accusingly while raising an eyebrow.

Each of the two turned a little pink but it was Ginny that answered, "We got a little carried away after living through that. Can you blame us?"

She wanted to say yes, but said, "I suppose not. So, you think the Horcrux is gone because it got hit by a Killing curse? And I can't believe how lucky you are to have survived that."

He shrugged and grinned. "Hey, it worked out and yes, I do think that cleaned it because I heard a scream from it - quieter than the others, but it was still there."

Hermione felt relieved and also glad the cup wasn't destroyed as the locket had been. "So now what? I mean, there are two left and they're going to be the hardest."

"Don't know yet," Harry answered and sounded like he didn't care. "After this morning, I'm giving us the rest of the day off. We'll go back to our normal schedule and start working on that tomorrow."

— — —

That evening after dinner, the trio retired to the parlor. Ginny walked over the Wireless and turned it on. She started humming along with the soft music before she gave Harry a wicked grin. "Come join me, handsome?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him over.

"Doing what?" His look clearly indicating he wasn't sure about her plan - whatever it was.

"Dancing." She stepped closer and gave him a commanding look.

"Of course, as my lady desires," Harry said graciously as he did his best not to complain. It wasn't a favorite activity, but he would get to hold Ginny close and that was always worth it. Oh well, it was her toes…

— — —

Meanwhile across the country, nine people were standing in a circle while the tenth sat.

"Where's Dolohov?"

"He's dead, My Lord," answered a bandaged Nott.

"Explain."

"We were in Diagon Alley this morning and I saw Potter and a redheaded girl inside Gringotts-"

Voldemort looked to the side. "Snape?"

"Ginny Weasley, My Lord," the Potions Master supplied. "They were dating at the end of the year and Potter favors the family."

Voldemort looked back to Nott and nodded.

"I went outside since I could do nothing inside and we waited for him so as to capture him to bring him to you as you've ordered. A few minutes later, Dolohov abandoned his post and started firing Cutting curses at us. He left us no choice but to kill him." Nott stood there sweating and praying he'd not be held responsible for the other's failure.

"So, Potter isn't as innocent as his mentor," Voldemort said slowly.

"He tried to cast the Torture curse at me a year ago, but he was unable to do it correctly," Bella supplied.

"I'd forgotten," the Dark Lord said casually. "Dolohov was the only one lost?"

"No, My Lord. Dolohov also managed to kill Lynch. Several others of us were injured by his surprise attack," Nott explained.

The Dark Lord turned. "Avery, what happened in Hogsmeade?"

Avery swallowed hard. "My Lord, we were doing patrols as requested when Ex-Auror Moody killed two near the Post Office and then started fighting with the others; he had an unknown number of others helping from multiple positions. They fought for a few minutes and then left abruptly before the Aurors could come."

"So you lost only the two?" The Dark Wizard stared at Avery, not allowing the Death Eater to look away.

"No, My Lord," Avery said, his voice shaky. "We called for backup and four came via the Floo into The Three Broomsticks. We don't know how, but they were all killed inside the pub. Another squad was ambushed from behind, and Tolby was separated from his squad and someone killed him."

"I see," the Dark Lord drawled. "So, two at the beginning, two squads of four, and another … that makes eleven Death Eaters lost. What of the opposition?"

"I know several were hit, we heard them scream; but they took the bodies with them so we don't know how many were killed."

The Dark Lord looked around. "Leave us. Avery, we need to discuss your leadership and wasting our resources."

Snape left, glad he wasn't in Avery's place. He had no idea if McGonagall could get word to the brat, but if Potter wasn't more careful he'd get himself killed and Dumbledore's foolish hope the lad would save them would be gone.

* * *

[Wed - Aug 20]

Hermione saw Harry enter the kitchen while she was making breakfast. It was only him and if Ginny acted as usual, she'd have at least fifteen minutes alone with her friend.

"Is Ginny up yet and I need to cook faster?" she asked casually.

"She just awoke as I came down, so no hurry," he replied and grabbed the kettle to start his morning tea.

Smiling to herself, she asked, "So, how are things going with Ginny? Pretty well from I saw yesterday, or so I'd guess." She knew she was bending if not breaking the promise she'd made to herself, but she rationalized this with the thought that the promise had been to Ginny not Harry.

Harry smiled broadly as he waited on his tea. "It's brilliant. Not much more I could ask for really."

"So, you're getting very close, even … intimate?" she queried an looked at him only to see him frown at her.

"Hermione, this is really beneath you, more of a Lavender move," he told her with disappointment.

She turned back to the stove and stirred the porridge slowly. "I'm sorry because I know it's none of my business, but I just want to make sure you're not getting hurt in this. You've never had a serious girlfriend before. I mean, looked what happened with Cho - that was a disaster."

"I can't disagree that Cho was a disaster because it was; but don't worry about us, Hermione."

He paused long enough she had to look to see what was going on and saw him looking at nothing with a goofy look on his face. "She's really amazing."

"How so?" she asked and saw him seem to come back to the here and now and look at her, judging how much he should tell her.

"We have a late night talk every night that we're not too tired," he explained. "She tells me what it was like growing up in a Wizarding family and I get a taste of what it might have been like with my parents. She explains things to me as well as she lays her head on my shoulder and cuddles; that makes the world feel right."

He stopped and seemed to look right through her and the power of his gaze made her shiver.

"Ginny is why I fight," he said simply. "She gives me something to live for and I can tell she understands when I talk about what's happened to me in the past. Without her, I'd be very tempted to leave for a few years and let Magical Britain either get up off its arse and do something or else let it die. I'd return with forces from the ICW or something and then clean up any mess left over."

Hermione almost dropped the spoon she was holding at she understood what he was saying and implying. "Seriously?"

They both heard feet coming down the stairs.

"Seriously," he returned as Ginny came in and joined them.

"Seriously what?"

He grinned. "I'm serious about you, Miss Weasley."

Ginny dropped into his lap and hugged him. "It's always nice to hear."

Hermione served breakfast and thought about the conversation. She had new insight and new resolve to let them be and find themselves with each other. She also promised herself she'd never ask either of them about this topic again - unless they announced something significant.

* * *

(A/N: Hopefully you enjoyed the action. :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**[Mon - Sep 1]**

While Ginny cooked breakfast, Harry and Hermione read the Daily Prophet, courtesy of Kreacher fetching it, as the elf did most days after they realized they needed to know what was going on out in the world. Harry was reading the first half and Hermione the second half; they'd trade later.

"Anything good happening?" Ginny asked as she worked on the eggs.

"Just the usual," Harry replied as he turned the page. "The Ministry is still controlled by the other side and we're still on the wanted list."

Ginny snorted. "I'm only on it because of our trip to Gringotts a couple of weeks ago when I was spotted with you. Got lucky Mum couldn't send a Howler to me when she heard about it, but she expressed her displeasure when I visited a few days later."

Harry grinned. "I remember that as I was talking to Ron on the back porch while you two were in the kitchen; it was epic." Ginny made a rude noise to that while Hermione gave him a brief surprised look and rolled her eyes before returning to the part of the newspaper in front of her.

A few minutes later, Ginny served breakfast and joined them to eat.

"Harry?" Hermione started. "What if we swapped our day and did classes in the afternoon and mission work in the morning?"

"Don't think I care, but why?" he asked.

"Because it's been almost two weeks and we've not made any progress. I was hoping that doing something different might help," she explained.

"Couldn't hurt," Ginny added.

Harry considered it. "Might not be a bad idea. It'd help keep my mind off the fact that we should be riding the train to school later today."

"There is that," Hermione agreed. "I wonder what it'll be like there this year."

"Maybe we'll get some information in a week or two," Ginny said.

"Hopefully it won't be too bad," Harry commented. "Lupin said Flitwick did get in touch with him and both Flitwick and McGonagall had a working map not long after, and Flitwick said he'd have a third one before school started so Sprout could have one too. He even put a better hiding charm on it in case it's taken and Lupin said Flitwick was planning to make each map so only they could use it."

Hermione gave him a disbelieving look because he ended on a disappointed note. "What'd you expect? Professor Flitwick does have a mastery in Charms."

"It's," Harry waved his hand around for a moment, "it's not that he did the work, it's…" He looked at Ginny, sure she could help out.

"It's that he had a map like that at all," the redhead supplied.

"Yeah, that!" Harry agreed with several large nods. "It's supposed to be to avoid teachers and all; you know, for pranks and such."

"But it'll keep them safer," Hermione argued.

"I know and that's fine, it's just…" Harry sighed and shook his head. "I'm really not upset with them because I want them and our friends safe; I'm upset at the circumstances that make them need one."

Ginny nodded with a sad look and Hermione said, "I can understand that." They ate the remaining part of their breakfast in silence.

At the end, Ginny did the spell to start the dishes washing and they left to start their work for the day. Instead of the parlor or the library, Harry took them all the way up the stairs.

"Why are we in the attic?" Hermione asked.

Harry led them to a door the other two had never used and opened it, then headed up the turning stairs. "If we're really doing something different, we might as well try to change it all to see if that helps." He opened a trap door at the top and they walked out onto the flat and only slightly sloping roof.

"This is sort of interesting," Ginny commented as she looked around. "You can see all the row houses in the neighborhood and London proper off in the distance."

Hermione had walked over to the edge of the roof that had a waist high wall that was the front of the building. "The watchers are still down there. They may be trying to hide, but they're doing a poor job of it. It's too bad Bella remembered the neighborhood. At least they're leaving the Muggles alone."

The three each conjured a chair and took a seat. Ginny conjured a wide brim hat while Harry conjured some sun glasses. Hermione conjured a smaller hat than Ginny's, but it was still big enough to keep the sun out of her eyes.

"So," Harry said as he looked at them, "the problem is still how to get the snake then end Tommy-boy."

Ginny added, "Which will probably happen at the same time."

"True," agreed Harry.

"Do you think he's under a Fidelius like your parents were and we are?" Hermione asked. "I haven't been able to find much about it in the library here."

Harry could hear the slight disappointment in her voice and knew she wanted to search Hogwarts' library, but he thought it was obscure enough magic she wouldn't have any better luck there. "I don't think he would, or really can; it's not in his nature."

"Why not?" his brunette friend asked.

"Think about it." He looked at her. "The magic is about trust and Riddle doesn't truly trust anyone other than himself."

"But Dumbledore did it to hide the Order here," she retorted.

"He did, but he also wasn't hiding himself. It's why," Harry paused for a brief moment, "it's why my parents couldn't use themselves for secret keepers. Magic of that … that magnitude requires sacrifice, or that's how I believe. It's not absolute safety; you give up one small area of safety in order to gain a much larger area of safety." Harry shrugged, "Or that's my explanation after some serious thought."

"That makes a lot of sense," Ginny told him.

"It does," Hermione agreed, "but it'd be good to know for sure. Could you use the Stone to ask someone?"

Harry considered that for a moment. "I suppose. Back in a moment."

With Harry gone, Ginny looked at her friend with a raised eyebrow. "You don't trust his explanation?"

Hermione looked out towards the high-rise buildings of London. "He's probably correct, but wouldn't it be good to be certain?"

Ginny didn't say anything, but she frowned and looked down. After a moment, she pulled her wand out and transfigured her jeans into shorts and her blouse into a T-shirt. "It's getting a little warm."

Her friend looked at her and thought that wasn't the full reason, but also didn't say anything to the contrary.

Harry returned and stopped short. "Looking good there, Weasley."

"Thanks," Ginny said with a coy smile, confirming Hermione's suspicions - at least in her mind.

Harry activated the Stone and called, "Albus Dumbledore." After a pause he said, "I don't really care and it's your own fault for not telling me enough; besides, no one else has complained. To business, tell me about the Fidelius charm. Can a person cast it to hide himself?"

He listened for a moment and then grinned. "Ha! I knew it! So how would you get Riddle out in the open so he could be vanquished?" He listened for a bit longer before finally started shaking his head. "With advice like that, I'm starting to believe your defeat of Grindelwald was luck." He put the Stone in his pocket.

Hermione spoke up quickly. "While I want to know what was said, will you also contact Rowena Ravenclaw to ask why her diadem doesn't do anything for us?"

While he gave her a surprised look, Ginny said, "I think info on the Fidelius is more important."

He turned to his girlfriend and gave a nod. "First he said that the more I call him back the more uncomfortable it becomes. I really wanted to tell him to suck it up, but stuck with it's really his fault for not explaining more to me."

"Harry, don't be disrespectful, especially to the dead," Hermione admonished him.

"It really is his fault, you know," Harry returned. "Think about it, he really didn't do much of anything for fourteen years. His only major efforts that I've been able to see are in our fifth year when he was kicked out of school and used that time to hunt down the memories he showed me in our sixth year. To make it worse, he took all year to share those and didn't share any other info, no magic to make it easier, nothing!" Harry took a deep breath to calm himself down after raising his voice a little.

"To be fair, on the positive side he did get and destroy the ring and he took me to get the fake locket.

"I have no idea how he destroyed the Horcrux in the ring. Not only would that be a good thing to know, but it'd be good to know what he did wrong so I don't get my hand cursed too." Harry complained. "I should ask him that next time I call him."

After a long moment of silence, Ginny asked quietly, "So what is the answer on the Fidelius? It can't be done on yourself, can it?"

Harry gave her a smile. "No it can't and for the reason I named. So Riddle must be hiding some place we can get to. To make it worse, when I asked about how to draw him out into the open, Dumbledore really had no idea, other than offering myself up as bait in a one-on-one duel."

Ginny snorted. "That's stupid."

"Very, as it's likely to get me killed," Harry agreed fervently. "Riddle has a lot more experience than I do. No, I'd prefer to face him with surprise and overwhelming force. A one-on-one duel makes for a good story, but this is reality and I don't want to die."

"Agreed." Ginny gave him a knowing look. "I have plans for you that might take a century to complete."

Hermione watched the smoldering looks they were giving each other and had to jump in. "So what do we do about Riddle?" She watched the lustful fire die in Harry, a bit sad she had to do that but glad she'd stopped them from embarrassing themselves.

"Not a clue yet." He dropped his head back against the high back of his chair. "Not a clue, but it is pretty pleasant up there. We should do this more often."

"Probably can't see as many stars here at night as at home," Ginny said, "but I bet it'd be nice then too as it cooled off."

Hermione watched the smoldering return between them, but thankfully it wasn't as intense. "What about Ravenclaw?"

Harry wiggled his eyebrows at his girlfriend, causing her to blush ever so slightly, as he pulled the Stone back out of his pocket. "Rowena Ravenclaw. I'm Harry Potter and it's an honor to meet you." He looked at Hermione. "Yes, she did borrow it from me. We have a small question if you wouldn't mind. Oh, thank you.

"Well, a man by the name of Tom Riddle found your Diadem and put a Horcrux in it … I know, it is all kinds of wrong. Anyway, we destroyed the Horcrux which seemed to be in the metal holder and not the main stone, and then we repaired the metal part. However, when Hermione put it on her head, nothing seemed to happen. Did the destruction of the Horcrux break it beyond repair or what?"

The girls watched Harry listen very attentively for a long time, nodding at times as well as saying, "Really? That's interesting." Later he said, "I used Gryffindor's sword and I felt that." Then, "I'm sorry we used basilisk venom on it, but I don't think it matters other than for its history." Finally, "Right, thank you for your time and help. Err, rest in peace."

He put the Stone away and looked at them. "That was interesting."

"Well?" Hermione demanded.

Harry leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "She told me about her diadem and then about the artifacts of each of the founders. They each made one personally, then made one together - the Sorting Hat.

"The magic is really in the stone; the metal just makes wearing it easier and acts as a conduit for the magic, much like wood is for our wands. As for making it work, or really for all of the founder's artifacts, you have to be of their line. She thinks all of her line has died over the years and since you didn't feel anything from it, you're obviously not a descendent of hers. Therefore, it's just a pretty piece of jewelry now.

"The same is true for Slytherin's locket. Even if we hadn't destroyed it, it wouldn't have worked for us. Amusingly, Riddle could have used it to his advantage but didn't."

"What was it supposed to do?" Hermione looked astounded and asked.

"It was supposed to make the wearer more observant and increase intelligence slightly. The point was to allow the wearer greater odds of achieving their ambitions. Probably a good thing Riddle didn't bother trying to actually use it." Harry shrugged.

"Definitely agree," Ginny said with conviction. "What was the part about Gryffindor's Sword?"

"She said that it gave a Gryffindor descendant a little extra bravery and battle prowess." He snorted. "I was twelve and had never picked up a sword before, yet I felt like I could use it and I did well enough to kill the giant snake."

"And Hufflepuff's cup?" Hermione asked.

"Healing. Put water in it and let it steep for a minute and you have an instant strengthening potion. Kind of cool, if you can find a descendent of Hufflepuff." He considered it for a moment. "Probably should ask Susan Bones if she is, or if she knows someone who is." He looked at his girlfriend. "Any ideas?"

"Hmm, Bones family would be a good guess. Might also want to ask Ernie Macmillan," Ginny suggested. "He comes from a Pureblood family which I think has a strong affinity for that house."

"Right, I hadn't thought of him." Harry leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtful.

"What are you thinking about?" Hermione asked.

"Oh," he said suddenly, having been lost in thought, "just thinking about how to deal with Riddle. Still no clue."

No one else had an idea by the time it was lunch.

* * *

**[Wed - Sep 10]**

Hermione was cooking breakfast and Harry was having his morning tea as was Ginny. They weren't saying anything to each other at the moment, just sort of waking up.

Kreacher popped in and handed the day's Daily Prophet. "Sorry I am late, Master. The newspaper was late delivering. I tried to get into the newspaper building, but they is warded against house-elves and I'm not keyed into the wards."

"It's all right, thank you Kreacher." Harry took the newspaper and placed half in front of Ginny, who let it sit there while she woke up a little more.

It was several minutes later before he heard, "Harry?!" and felt her shaking him. He blinked a few times and looked at his girlfriend. "What?"

"You weren't being magically attacked or something, were you?" Ginny asked a little scared. "I called your name multiple times and you never answered or acted like you heard."

"Sorry," he told her and looked at Hermione to see a great deal of concern as well as her wand in her hand. He had no idea what spell she might have cast at him. "I had a thought about what Kreacher just said and well, I know this may sound crazy, but I think I know what to do now - maybe."

"Maybe?" Ginny asked.

"Well, if my idea works, but I don't know if it will or not." He paused and looked at Hermione. "How long until breakfast is ready?"

"It's ready now," she answered. "I was waiting to find out if you were all right or not."

"Let's eat," he told her. "I'll try my idea after breakfast."

"What's the idea?" Hermione asked.

He grinned. "You'll have to wait."

Hermione growled and Ginny frowned at him. All three ate very quickly as there was hope for progress for the first time in three weeks.

As they rose, Hermione started throwing spells at the dishes to wash themselves and then hurried after the other two, joining them in the parlor. She took a chair while the other two shared the sofa.

"Kreacher, come," Harry ordered and the elf popped in.

"Master called?"

"Kreacher, can any other elves pop in here?" Harry looked anxious and it was infecting the other two.

"No, wards and my magic prevent it," Kreacher replied.

"Right, probably good." Harry cleared his throat. "Kreacher, I want you to allow one specific elf to come visit me to answer questions. He won't be replacing you, but only he can answer my questions."

"Who is the elf?"

"Dobby." Harry hoped this worked out, considering the two elves had not gotten along very well last year.

The house-elf looked pained but nodded. He concentrated for a moment and then snapped his fingers. "Kreacher will retrieve Dobby," he said before he popped away.

"Why do you want Dobby?" Hermione asked.

He looked at Ginny, who was thinking very hard and then her eyes went wide. "Brilliant! I wouldn't have thought of that, but it'll only work if you're really lucky … which seems to describe you a lot when you're fighting for your life."

"What's the plan?!" Hermione demanded.

Harry was saved, and felt lucky for, Kreacher reappearing and dumping Dobby at Harry's feet. "Kreacher, be nice," he ordered as he moved forward to kneel on one knee and help Dobby up while ignoring Kreacher's poisonous looks towards the other elf.

"Master is too kind," Dobby said before his eyes went wide and he started to hit himself in the mouth.

"Stop punishing yourself," Harry command and Dobby did stop instantly, which made Harry narrow his eyes as he put the observations together. "Dobby, answer me truthfully. Are you still a free elf or are you now bonded with a family."

The elf looked down and said quietly, "I be bonded to a family."

When the elf still wouldn't look up, Harry asked just as quietly, "You're bonded to my family, aren't you?"

Dobby just nodded, looking ashamed.

Harry looked up to see Hermione giving him an angry look, so he did the only thing he could. He held out a hand and told her, "Stop, don't say a word about this. We don't know all the facts, or at least I don't because this is a surprise to me." That brought his brunette friend up short and she held her tongue.

"Dobby," he said with as much caring as he could. "Since I don't remember creating a bond with you, can you please explain how that happened."

The elf shuffled his feet for a moment. "Dobby be a bad elf and force the bond while master slept last year. Dobby was losing his magic and master was having trouble with old master, so Dobby forced the bond and helped keep the Great Harry Potter safer."

Harry blinked and looked at the girls. Even Ginny looked surprised and finally said, "I didn't know that was possible. How Dobby?"

He looked at Harry, who nodded. "Since Dobby was freed by Harry Potter it created magic between us. Dobby did not take advantage of that in the beginning, but Dobby did in the end. Bad elf!" he started to hit his head but Harry's hand snapped out and grabbed the elf's hand.

"No punishing yourself unless I say so," Harry told him, not sure what else to do at the moment. He supposed he might as well go forward, but he wasn't sure if Dobby bonding himself to the Potters helped or hurt his idea.

Taking a deep breath and hoping for the best, he said, "Dobby, I need you to answer a few questions for me." When the elf nodded, he asked, "Dobby, did the Malfoys remove you from their wards? Could you still get in if you had to?"

Dobby looked at him strangely and tilted his head. "Dobby does not know unless he tries. Does Master want Dobby to try?"

"Would doing so hurt you?" Harry asked and still hoped.

"Dobby does not know but Dobby will find out." The elf snapped his fingers and popped way.

Harry let out a strangled sound of "Wai-" as he stopped his shout. Shaking his head and seeing the girls' look of horror, which he felt because he could see Lucius Malfoy making the wards such that they'd kill the elf, all he could do was wait. Softly he asked, "Kreacher, will Dobby be able to return, assuming he's able."

"Yes, Master."

After a minute had passed and Dobby hadn't returned, Harry began to fear the worst. "Kreacher, without going, can you tell if dobby is still alive?"

Kreacher cocked his head for a moment and said, "Dobby is alive."

All three of the teen let out a deep sigh and Ginny added, "Thank Merlin! There's very little that can stop an elf and not kill him."

"Unless he's hit by a spell before he can defend himself," Hermione said, earning a glare from Ginny. "I was just pointing out a fact," she said defensively.

As Ginny looked ready to give an angry retort, Harry said sternly, "We'll wait without arguing. He's probably having to be careful."

Near the five minute mark, Harry couldn't take it any longer. "Dobby, come."

A moment later, a Dobby with splashes of flour on him appeared. "Sorry, Master, but Dobby had to help Darla so she wouldn't say anything."

Harry almost wilted with relief. "I'm so very glad you're safe. I feared for the worst when you didn't return."

"Dobby is very sorry for worrying Master." He hung his head and his hand twitched, but he didn't hit himself.

"It's all right, Dobby, now that we know you're safe. So you were able to get in?" asked Harry.

"Yes, Master. There are several bad people there, including the bad sister and the snake-man along with his big snake," Dobby supplied.

"Could you take us in through the wards?" Harry held his breath and hoped.

"Dobby could lead you in, but only two or maybe three at a time as you must be holding Dobby's hand," the elf answered.

Harry could have danced a jig. "Very well done, you may return to what you were doing, as long as you stay safe," Harry ordered.

"Thank you, Master. Dobby must return and help in the kitchen for another hour. Dobby thinks Darla is taking advantage of him, but this helps master." He left with a pop.

Harry leaned back on the sofa and considered his idea some more as it looked like it could work.

"Now that we have information," Ginny stated, "how did you plan to take advantage of it? Storming the place seems dangerous and I doubt we could sneak in."

"Let's head to the library." Harry led the way. He erased their chalkboard since they were done with their earlier planning. He laid out his idea and the girls helped refine it. There was a lot of risk and a few gaps to be filled in; but again, no risk no gain.

— — —

That evening, the trio went over to Ginny's Aunt Muriel's home. Ginny was snagged by her mother and pulled away for a talk, with the teen sighing and rolling her eyes. Hermione joined Harry to talk to Ron, and his father joined them, motioning them to follow him outside.

In the light of dusk, they hadn't walked too far from the house when Arthur said, "See the shed in front of us?"

Harry and Hermione blinked as there was suddenly Arthur's shed barely ten paces in front of them. "What? How?"

Arthur chuckled. "I've always kept a Notice-Me-Not on it, though usually a weak one. Anyone mentioning it at The Burrow allowed it to be seen, which is why you noticed it so quickly there. But here," Arthur sighed, "I thought a stronger one was needed to keep it safe."

"How did it get here though?" Hermione asked. "I thought it was burnt down with the house?"

Harry grinned and shook his head as he knew better.

"No, they overlooked it," the father said with a smile, "so I did some magic to disassemble it and brought it here. It was a lot more than a shrinking charm and it took me most of a night, but I was able to bring it here and reassemble it." He opened the door and ushered them in.

While the others were conjuring chairs, Arthur put privacy spells up and then created his own chair. "I hope you don't mind me inserting myself into this, but after what happened last time, I believe I'd like to know what's going on and be available to offer some guidance."

He still looked friendly, but there was a certain measure of steel in his gaze, the strength to raise seven children, Harry thought. "Sir, I've found some information that I think will allow us to end the war - with a little luck."

Arthur sat up straighter, but it was Ron who asked, "You found the last one?"

At Ron's father's look, Harry knew he had to explain a little. "Mr Weasley, this must stay in the strictest of confidences. In fact, I don't want you to even tell your wife; it's that secret."

Arthur looked him in the eyes for a moment but finally nodded. "That's a lot to ask, but I'll honor your request. What was my son asking about?"

"In order to cheat death, Professor Dumbledore determined that Tom Riddle - or You-Know-Who - did a ritual several times. Tracking down the results and reversing them so he can be killed was the mission Dumbledore gave me, gave us," Harry explained. "We've managed to get them all but the last one and of course himself."

"I had wondered; I'd always been told what you were doing was very important, but never what." Arthur took a few breaths. "This is what Ron and Ginny have been involved in?" Ron looked away, not able to take the gaze of his father.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied. "They've both been invaluable, each in their own way. I couldn't have done it without them, that includes Hermione too." It was Hermione's turn to look away, though from embarrassment at the praise.

"And now?" Arthur asked.

"Now I need Moody's and Bill's help for a little scouting, and then everyone who can be trusted and who's willing to fight. I will do my very best," Harry practically swore, "to do this in a way that everyone survives and with a little luck no one even gets hurt - at least for the first part.

"The second part, well, that's harder; but I have a plan for that too. But when the second part is done, the war should be over," Harry told him. "It'll be over except for the clean-up." He sat back in his chair and braced himself - only for no loud arguing to happen.

"I see," Arthur said slowly and looked at each of the teens. "Hermione, do you know his plan?"

"Yes, sir," she answered. "It sounded crazy at first, but I think it's doable and he's correct, with some luck no one gets hurt, or at least not killed."

"Let's hear it," the father said and Ron perked up.

Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to Ron. "So you don't have to remember it all, this is what needs to get done to get ready. There is no hurry on this, so if it takes a few days, that's fine. I'm still doing more planning on part two."

It only took about five minutes to walk them through his plans at a high level.

Ron stared at him. "Blimey, Harry, you don't do things by halves, do you?"

"It's something like this or we wait for him to make a mistake, with people dying or disappearing in the meantime," Harry replied a little bitterly. "Plus the longer we wait the more people he can recruit."

Arthur looked uncomfortable. "I only heard this earlier today, but the Ministry has started 'camps' for the Muggle-born. It's not hard to imagine that anyone who disagrees with them will be sent to the camps too. Makes me glad I resigned."

"Seriously?" Hermione squeaked.

"I'm sorry, my girl, but it's what I heard." The older man looked as uncomfortable as Hermione did. "I still have a few contacts so I hear things from them occasionally. I'll be sharing the news with the Order soon.

"I don't like what you're proposing, Harry, but I can see the reasons why you want to do this and I can't refute them." Arthur sighed. "I think it's mainly because I don't want to be in this war, but my conscience won't let me do nothing. Of course, I don't _want_ any of you in the war either, yet you must be. I'll contact Alastar and Bill and let them know what needs to be done. Ron can handle the rest, or at least start on it and I'll help him finish."

He looked at the young man carefully. "Are you really sure, Harry? This is risky and people may get killed doing this."

"I'm as sure as I can be, sir," Harry answered. "I don't like asking people to put their lives on the line, but I also don't know what else to do."

"Very well." Arthur looked at the other two. "If you two would return to the house, I need a moment of Harry's time."

— — —

Approximately half an hour later the trio Apparated to the back door of Harry's house. Ginny looked as red in the face as he thought he was, but she didn't seem embarrassed like he felt. They were barely inside the door when Ginny said in a strained voice, "Please excuse us, Hermione, but Harry and I need to have a conversation." She Side-Along Apparated him to their bedroom before their friend could respond.

There, she wrapped her arms around him and ground out, "Hold me for a bit and don't let go."

Harry did so and it wasn't long before he heard sniffling as she buried her head on his shoulder. Not knowing what was going on for her, he held her tightly with one hand and gently rubbed her back with his other hand. He also tried very hard not to think about what her father had said to him, but that was nearly impossible, especially considering what he was doing at the moment.

When the sniffling stopped and it felt like her breathing was reasonably normal, he asked, "Want to talk about it?"

"No, but we should," she said quietly. "Did my father talk to you?"

"Yes. He was calm and pleasant enough about it, but basically he threatened me with dire things if you became pregnant before we married."

Ginny growled and muttered a few things he wasn't sure he wanted to know. "I received the same talk, but for longer. I was so angry at the end that it was all I could do not to hex her. I love my mother, I really do, but there are times…ugh!" She buried her face again.

Harry returned to rubbing her back. "Not to make things worse, but I had a thought earlier … one I don't particularly care for."

"What?" came back the muffled question.

"Like you, I've come to enjoy us sleeping together." He couldn't help the smile as he thought of their times together. "Yet, if we really end this war soon, we might not get to continue." He felt her shake her head on his shoulder.

"I hadn't thought of that, but you have a point." She sighed. "We'll have to cross that bridge when we get there, I guess. I've got my OWLS, so at worst I could just stop going to Hogwarts so I could live with you." She lifted her head so she could look at him. "What did you plan to do about your last year?"

"Don't know. I could return, maybe." He considered it for a moment. "Could we be day students so we could sleep here?"

Ginny snorted. "Harry, if you win the war, you'll be able to do anything you want - at least for anything not illegal. Allowing the two of us to be day students? They'll say yes without a doubt. My question is what to do since I'm a year behind you."

"You might be only a single term behind me now," he said, "but we'll figure it out. I guess it depends on what you want to do and how important NEWTs are to that."

"True," she answered and then got a grin. "Let's change into our pyjamas and get in bed to discuss it. It'll be a lot more comfortable there."

He grinned back at her. "I like your plan."


	10. Chapter 10

(A/N: There are only 3 chapters left after this one, so this chapter really starts the big wind-up.)

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**[Mon - Sep 22]**

There had been multiple conversations between Harry and Ron, who then talked to his father and Moody, over the last week working out details. Then there had been the distribution of Portkeys, with questions and counter-questions to confirm identities, not to mention keying the Portkeys to the individuals so only they could use them. Harry thought Mad-Eye's paranoia had hit a new high, but in the end he appreciated the security of it.

Once that was worked out, Harry sent Dobby to spy and they waited. He was quite concerned for his little friend; but honestly, Dobby was the one most able to escape if seen. In the end, it worked to their favor that Riddle, Malfoy, and the others generally overlooked house-elves and the work they did.

The Friday before, Harry and Ginny pushed Hermione out of the kitchen and gave her the day off, and a cake, since it was her birthday. Presents were delayed but Hermione understood.

Soon after lunch on the fifth day of waiting Dobby popped in with Kreacher arriving a breath behind him - as always happened whenever Dobby came over. "Now is the time, Master Harry. Snake man left this morning and old master and friends just left. Only old mistress and son and big snake is in the house, along with a prisoner. Snake man will be gone for several days, but I don't know about the others," he said worriedly.

"Don't worry about it. Are you sure you weren't seen?" asked Harry, worried as this was a potential weakness.

"I'm certain, Master."

Harry told him, "You've done well. Go tell Ron it's time and the meeting should be at…" he looked at the girls who were looking at their watches.

"One," Hermione said only a little faster than Ginny before the brunette added, "That's only a minute more than the fifteen we agreed upon."

"One o'clock. Go my friend and we'll see you a little after that in the copse of trees as planned." Harry watched Dobby nod and leave. "Go to the bathroom and get anything you need and meet at the back door in twelve minutes."

The situation could change before they arrived and they did have one chance to call it off before they were fully committed, but they had to have time to assemble everyone, Harry knew and thought about this as he raced upstairs with the girls on his heels. As usual, he grabbed all three of Death's artifacts, though he thought he'd only use the wand today.

He was ready except for…he saw Ginny come out of the bathroom and he entered to take care of that last need, knowing that "going" wasn't going to possible for the next hour or so. When he came out, Ginny stood by the door with her wand in her hand and her hair up in a bun so it couldn't get in the way. He grabbed the Portkey off of their dresser and then headed toward her and she led them downstairs, where Hermione was already waiting.

"Might as well go and we can help secure the area," he said as he noticed they still had six minutes based on the clock in the kitchen. Holding out the old wooden spoon, he waited until each girl was touching it before he activated it.

Unsurprisingly, Mad-Eye was already there with wand out and magical eye swirling; they were the first after him though. "Potter, Granger, Weasley, let's see it," he said in his gravelly voice, his wand generally pointing in their direction.

Harry held out the Portkey for Mad-Eye, who scanned it and then nodded. Lupin and Tonks arrived next, then Shacklebolt, Bill and Fleur, then the rest of the Weasleys minus Molly who was staying with her aunt, and Lee Jordan who came with the redheaded family. With Harry's three, that made fourteen total.

Now that all were present, Mad-Eye looked them over. "Arthur, you take the twins to the second floor. The elf said there's no reason for anyone to be up there, so it should go quickly. When you're done, go down and help those on the ground floor.

"Tonks, Bill, Shacklebolt, and myself will take the first floor, with Tonks impersonating Lucius since that's where Narcissa and her boy should be.

"Granger, Jordan, and Mrs Weasley, you are to search and hold the ground floor. Be careful, that's where the snake should be.

"Potter, you and two youngest Weasleys and Lupin go to the basement. Besides looking for the snake, there is supposed to be a prisoner there to rescue."

"And we must find the snake," Harry impressed on them. "Don't take any chances with it. Stun it if that's easy, else a good Slicing curse that you can draw a line over an area would be best. Don't forget," he couldn't help the quick glance towards Arthur, "it's highly poisonous."

"Very much so," Arthur agreed, not looking bothered about the reference to his being bitten by it nearly two years ago.

As Moody pulled out a small boat oar and enlarged it, he said, "Do your work as quickly as you can while staying quiet. When you're done, return to the front door and we'll all leave together, Apparating away once we're outside of the wards. Now, grab hold."

Once everyone had, Moody activated that Portkey and they landed in a copse of trees, where he vanished the oar. "Grab your partner, if you have one, and apply your Disillusionment charm."

Harry and his crew had been working on that and learned the spell. He felt Ginny's hand on his shoulder as he applied his charm. As the cool feeling ran down him, he saw Hermione with her hand on Ginny's shoulder start to fade out top to bottom, just as Ginny did a breath later.

Dobby appeared right in front of them. "Master Harry, nothing has changed. You be needing to hold my hand for me to bring you in. I do that for each group." He grabbed Harry's hand with his right then both girls with his left and started going forward, out of the trees and towards the large manor house.

Harry knew this charm didn't make them totally invisible, like his Invisibility Cloak did, but it was good enough for their purposes as they crossed the large expanse of open ground between the edge of the wards and the house. They could be seen, but someone would have to be staring right at them for an extended period of time, which was highly unlikely.

He could feel passing through the wards and hoped that didn't trigger any alarms. Dobby didn't think it would, but the little guy didn't really know for certain. As he popped back to get the next small group, Harry again considered how much faith and hope he was putting in his little friend and his abilities.

It wasn't long before he heard the voice of Mad-Eye from not far away say, "Lead on Potter."

Harry took the lead, with Ginny's left hand on his shoulder and he was sure Hermione's left hand was on Ginny's shoulder so they could all have their wands out and ready to cast.

He had heard the stories from Dobby, but to see the peacocks that Malfoy owned strutting around the front garden made him shake his head. He was wondering what path to take around them so the group wasn't detected by the birds being frightened when the birds suddenly squawked and hurried over to a spot where the sound of something hard was being dropped into a metal pan. With a grin, he realized that was Dobby clearing the path by feeding the birds.

Harry slowed and then stopped as he reached the front door. The door opened slowly with no one being there, but he heard Dobby say quietly, "I go take Darla away to safety." That was the elf's last task, Harry knew. From here on, they were on their own.

As they entered the house, each cancelled the Disillusionment charm on him or herself, lest they hit another person accidentally. Each also put a Silencing charm on their feet.

At the first main hallway, Harry carefully peered down to the right as well as straight ahead. Not seeing anything, he looked over his shoulder and whispered very softly, "Clear, and be careful." That was passed backward to the others in the line.

Harry turned right, thankful for the map Dobby had drawn for them, and headed for the door to the basement and dungeon, passing multiple doors to other rooms - places those staying on the ground floor were to check out. Ginny and Ron followed directly behind him; Lupin brought up the rear.

Finding a key hanging on a peg next to the door he wanted, he pulled it down carefully so as not to drop it and he did his best to unlock the door quietly, wincing when a very audible metallic squeaking was heard. Unlocking it and keeping the key so they couldn't easily be locked in, he opened the door and advanced downward.

It didn't take long before they found Ollivander, of all people, in a real honest-to-goodness old-fashioned jail cell. The old man looked very surprised, for which Harry couldn't blame him.

Harry held his finger to his lips and then asked very quietly, "Is anyone else down here?" The man shook his head no.

Fortunately, a simple Unlocking charm was all that was needed to open his door. Ron hurried in and helped the man to his feet and slung a thin arm over his shoulder to help the older man walk. The others looked around but found nothing of interest or dangerous, so they all started their trek back towards the front door. Harry led the way with Ginny close behind; Ron and Ollivander did their best to keep up; Remus brought up the rear.

They hadn't found the snake.

— — —

Arthur, Fred, and George headed up the main staircase after the group who was taking the first floor. At the top of the stairs, they spread out, each taking a different room to speed up the search.

The father noticed one of his sons slipping a small something into a pocket as he exited the room and he hoped it wasn't a cursed object. Seeing another door to what was probably another storage room, he hurried on, mentally making a note to find out later what his son had picked up.

They finished the floor in a few minutes and started down the stairs to help those on the ground floor. A small noise attracted their attention from the first floor, probably from Narcissa based on what sounded like a protest in outrage. They stopped for a moment and looked around, in case Draco stuck his head out from a room the other group wasn't watching. After a moment and no one was seen, Arthur waved the boys onward after him towards the ground floor.

— — —

Tonks morphed herself to be as tall as she could and was still a little shorter than her uncle. More importantly, she took on his face and hair, holding her wand behind her leg so it was ready to be used in an instant. She was going first, as Moody hoped that if either of the Malfoys saw her, they'd think it was Lucius and that would give the invaders a couple of extra seconds in order to cast the first spell.

Kingsley Shacklebolt and Bill Weasley split off to search for Draco, with Kingsley first going to the room Dobby's map had shown was the boy's while the rest kept watch and waited. Opening the door and sticking his head in, he was disappointed to find it empty; it also put him on edge since they had no idea where the boy was now. Coming out, he shook his head, causing the others to nod acknowledgement and continue on - slowly.

Just before she reached the master bedroom, Tonks heard a noise and held up her hand. Moody, the only one with her now, took only one more step and his magical eye whirred around and looked through the door. He nodded, held up one finger, and pointed.

Tonks gripped her wand a little tighter before she knocked lightly and opened the unlocked door, stepping in. "Narcissa," she said in a perfect imitation of her uncle's voice, causing the woman to look up just as "her husband's" wand came up and summoned her wand. Her eyes went wide as the stick flew out of her robes.

Catching the wand, Tonks released her morph and gave a cheeky grin. "Good afternoon, Auntie."

"How dare you…" The woman's protest was cut off by a spell from Moody as he entered the room too.

He closed the door to keep the conversation from carrying. "Show your forearms. If you don't have the Dark Mark, we're prepared to take you to your sister and let you live with a few conditions." When Mrs Malfoy just stared angrily at him, he growled, "Show me or I'll make you."

She gave them both a silent angry retort, but held out her arms and pulled her sleeves back to show pale unblemished skin.

"Thank you, Auntie," Tonks told her kindly. "Now the decision. Shake your head if you want to be sent to where we're holding the captured Death Eaters and stand trial with them at the end, or nod if you want to go see my mum before leaving the country without contacting anyone here until the war is over. Oh, and that will be enforced with an Unbreakable Vow."

The woman pointed at her mouth in angry gestures.

"No screaming or I'll assume you want to be treated like a Death Eater," Moody threatened before removing his Silencing charm.

"Draco will come with me," Narcissa demanded. "He was forced into this and didn't want to be a Death Eater. You will also treat me with respect, young lady."

Moody snorted at the respect part, but it was Tonks who replied, "Draco can be included in the deal, but the same conditions - including the Unbreakable Vow - would apply. If it helps you to decide, your Dark Lord will probably be dead not too long from now, so your banishment may not last long if you're lucky."

Narcissa glared at them, but she could see the writing on the wall. "He's not my Dark Lord," she spat. "I must get some things before we go."

Tonks looked at her partner. "Told you she was pragmatic." She pulled out a trunk from a pocket and enlarged it as she set it down. "You have two minutes to pack. Tell us what you want and we'll summon it and pack it."

She did not look happy, but Narcissa said as she rose, "Get my clothes; I'll get my jewelry."

"Where's the boy?" Moody asked.

"Anywhere but the ballroom," the woman said as she held out a large box for her niece to shrink down before it was put into the trunk.

At the other end of the hallway, Bill closed the last door and turned to Kingsley and shrugged.

— — —

Lee Jordan was taking his time in looking around. First, he'd never seen such a house. After a few moments, he decided that the word "opulent" really was the best word for this. Spying some really nice quills just lying on a table, he picked them up and stuffed them in a pocket without a pause in his looking or slow walking. Second, he was scared to death he'd turn a corner and the big-arsed snake he'd been told about would be right there and bite the crap out of him.

Personally, he hoped he found Draco Malfoy so he could hit the arrogant little plonker in the face with a Stunner.

Fleur left the dining room and moved to the next room. It was a tense search for her and she could feel her Veela magic stirring just under the surface. There were so many ways this mission could go wrong.

Opening the door, she looked in to see a very elegant room with lots of warm looking wood, only a few chairs around the edge of the room, and a truly huge crystal chandelier in the center, making this the ballroom. At the far end was a large piano in the corner. In the center at the far end was a gaudy looking high-backed chair, a throne she decided. She laughed quietly at the audacity of the so-called Dark Lord.

Perhaps it was a bit foolish, but she cast a low-level Blasting hex at the chair, sort of her strike against the "monster". The noise of it wasn't loud overall, but in the completely silent room, it was louder than she expected.

Far more concerning than the noise she wasn't supposed to make was the fact that a very large snake that had been hiding behind the chair was now slithering towards her at an alarming rate. Silently, she cast a Stunning spell since she thought she had time. That missed as the snake slithered to the side surprisingly quickly and kept coming.

The Veela in her reacted and she partially transformed and threw a fireball right in front of the snake, which was already over half way and nearing fast. The fireball hit true and caused the snake to hiss angrily and move to the side around the burning spot on the floor. The area right behind the head looked sooty now.

Realizing she had little time, Fleur calmed just enough to allow herself to cast a powerful Cutting curse, moving her arm back and forth in a "Z" pattern, which sliced the snake into three parts. She heard a very brief scream as from a child who'd hurt himself before the room was silent again.

"Merde! What was that? That was not natural," she muttered. She was still trying to get her breathing back to a normal rate when footsteps raced into the room. Spinning, she saw Lee Jordan standing there and looking at the dead snake with wide eyes and an open mouth.

His mouth worked a few times before managed to squeak out, "B-big s-snake." Fleur completely understood that reaction.

— — —

A few minutes earlier while Fleur was heading for the ballroom, Hermione opened the next door in her search and stood gaping before she said in a slightly raised voice, "Merlin that's a lot of books." She'd seen more books in one place before, the London main library as well as the Hogwarts library, but this was in a private home. In addition, she knew what Harry was going to do shortly and then all these marvelous tomes would be gone forever.

As she contemplated how she could save them, a dreaded voice made her spin around and stare like a deer caught in sudden bright lights.

"What the bloody hell are you doing in my house, Mudblood!" Draco Malfoy pointed his wand at her. "I don't need my father for this. _Avada_-"

Hermione knew she was a dead woman. There was no place to hide, she couldn't conjure something fast enough, there was no shield spell to stop it, and Malfoy was maybe four steps away - he couldn't miss. She closed her eyes and thought, 'I'm sorry', to all those she knew she'd let down today - especially Harry.

When she heard a large thump and not "Kedavra", her eyes flew open to see Harry standing behind where Malfoy had been with his wand pointing at her, or really had been at Malfoy. A quick glance down showed Malfoy sprawled on the floor with his wand at her feet. Looking back up, she saw a sight she wished she hadn't.

When she'd met Death, it had scared her, but Death had been bearable because it wasn't personable. It was a very scary power, but only that. However, in front of her was a very angry Harry Potter who seemed to be looking right through her. She'd heard other girls joke about his "killing curse green eyes". Right now, she wished that was true, or that Malfoy had succeeded so she didn't have to see her friend's righteous and very hot anger directed at her.

"What the bloody hell were you doing that he caught you unaware?!" he hissed at her, almost going into Parseltongue so she barely understood him. He summoned Malfoy's wand to himself but his anger at her didn't abate. To her dismay, she saw his anger rise even more when he looked into the room behind her.

"Books?! You let yourself almost be killed if I hadn't come along at that moment because of a few books? That is the stupidest thing I've ever seen by anyone!" He took a deep breath and looked to his left.

Hermione chanced a look at Ginny, who was a little behind and to her boyfriend's side. The redhead was shaking her head slowly. Ron and an old man, who she took a moment to recognize as Ollivander, came into view, with Lupin a step behind them.

Running footsteps caught everyone's attention and Harry took off at a run also.

Ginny cast an Incarceration spell at Malfoy and then ran after Harry.

Hermione looked over and saw the team for the first floor coming down the staircase with Narcissa Malfoy. The mission was all but over and the other excitement was almost certainly about the snake. Knowing she was in a load of trouble, but deciding she might as well finish what she had been about to start, she called, "Dobby?"

The elf popped in. "Mizz Her-my-own called?"

"Dobby, please bring any extra trunks in the house to the library and hurry."

The elf left and Ron looked at her and said, "Really?"

"Might as well," she said as she forced herself to stand tall, despite what she knew was coming, and started casting a continuous Shrinking spell as she walked into the room.

Dobby popped in with what looked like a school trunk, probably Draco's she thought. Glad it was already empty, she did another spell and the already shrunken books started to stream into the trunk. Understanding what she was doing, Dobby started to snap his fingers and each time an entire shelf of books shrunk.

Harry stormed back into the main area where the rest were gathered - Fleur, Lee, and the Weasleys following. Moody's team and Narcissa joined them; she had a foul look and a small box in her hands. "You're taking the deal to leave?" he asked as he glanced into the library and frowned.

"Yes," she ground out angrily.

Harry nodded. "Tonks, you have guard duty for her. Remus, Draco is yours. Fleur got the snake so we need to go right now. Quickly!"

Shacklebolt led the group at a fast walk towards and out the front door.

Turning to Ginny, Harry said, "Get her," he gestured towards the library, "out of here, whatever it takes." He turned to Mad-Eye. "I'm ready for the lesson; I think I'm even in a good destructive frame of mind."

Mad-Eye actually laughed. "Come stand near the front door, lad. We want an easy escape."

Looking into the library, he saw Ginny casting Stinging hexes at their friend and shouting at her to run, which he approved of right now. "Dobby!" he shouted. "I order you to leave now!"

As he and Moody were reaching the front door, Hermione raced by him with Ginny hot on her heels shouting, "Faster, Granger!"

Moody laughed again and then said, "Remember what I told you. Think of unquenchable fire and wanting everything to burn. Now cast what I showed you."

Harry pulled up his hatred of Riddle and anger at Draco for what he tried to do to Hermione; he also added some anger at his friend for almost getting herself killed and cast, "Fiendfyre!" A large, very hot, and very angry looking Griffin shot out of his wand and headed deeper into the house.

"Hold the magic and direct it," Moody encouraged him. "It'll try to fight you but make it follow your intent."

It was a struggle, but Harry managed to make the magical fire move as he wished. When he was sure he understood it, he let the magic go to burn whatever it wanted and turned for the door; Moody was already on the front porch. Harry closed the door and started to jog forward to catch up.

Looking ahead, he could see Tonks and Lupin along with their charges were near the wards, with Shacklebolt, Bill, and Fleur already outside them and waiting.

He started to smile as Hermione started stumbling in her jog to leave, but instead his expression changed to horror as she literally ran into Bellatrix Lestrange, with her husband, brother-in-law, and Lucius Malfoy right behind - the four having Apparated in right in front of Harry's group. Hermione fell to the ground face down and was still while Bellatrix stumbled back a few steps. The four arrivals wore looks of shock at the invaders.

Harry's shock was shoved aside and he yelled, "Help back here!" at the others, knowing those outside the wards couldn't get back in, but he hoped some of the others still on this side would return. These Death Eaters were the ones he didn't want to face, but now he had no choice. Hoping for the best, he cast his favorite Piercing hex at Bella, since she was a little off balance. If he could kill her quickly, they might live through this.

Unfortunately, she moved just enough as she regained her footing and the hex missed. Fortune smiled on Harry however as the hex went on and caught Lucius Malfoy at the base of the throat. He dropped to his knees and fell over with a gurgle and spitting up blood. He didn't move after he face planted into his manicured lawn.

While he'd missed Bella, taking out Malfoy had been the next best thing, since he could control the wards. Harry shoved that thought aside and cast a Blasting hex at the insane woman in front of him, with Mad-Eye joining him in that fight.

Ginny cut Rabastan Lestrange on the shoulder as he moved just fast enough to avoid having his head taken off. He yelled in pain but sent a curse back at her. The girl managed to save herself by flinging herself to the side and raising a shield as soon as she could to protect herself from Rodolphus.

Arthur, Ron, Fred, George, and Lee came running back and fired spells as they did. Their distance was far enough the Lestrange brothers had no difficulty dodging the spells, but the most important result was that Ginny didn't have two adult wizards focusing only on her and she could back up hastily to give herself more reaction time.

Rabastan turned back to her since she was near while his brother started on the arrivals who were running at them.

Harry had already known Bella was good, having heard the stories plus seeing her in the Department of Mysteries, but she was - unfortunately - in top form today. She easily defended against him and Moody and even sent off the occasional offensive spell. She wasn't bothering with the Killing curse, but she had no problem casting the Torture curse.

Not knowing what else to do while knowing they had to end this quickly, he moved to his right for a better angle and cast a Fireball spell at the mad witch. Again she moved to the side so his hex missed and she only cast at Moody, but Harry's real purpose had been accomplished. The Fireball had continued and hit Rabastan on his left side, setting his clothes and hair on fire.

As he screamed, Ginny cast a Piercing hex at the man and Hermione rolled over suddenly and cast a Blasting hex. The two spells hit simultaneously, causing him to scream as he was flung backward.

Rodolphus yelled obscenities and cast a barrage of curses and hexes that had nothing to do with his insults. The emotional energy in his magic took the approaching Weasleys by surprise and caused them to have to only defend. As he cast a Killing curse, that thankfully went wide, George caught the Death Eater with a curse that made his head start expanding before it burst open and he dropped to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.

Meanwhile, Ginny had turned to Bella and was casting Piercing curse after Piercing curse because they were so good at breaking shields, which Bella was having to use now that it was three on one. Hermione joined the others too to make it four.

Four on one was just too much, even if the insane witch was the best fighter there. One of Ginny's curses slipped in and hit Bella on the hip. That distracted Bella just enough for Harry's Cutting curse to take her head off.

As the bloody head now with shorn locks fell to the ground and rolled, Harry looked around. Their enemies were defeated, but several of their own were on the ground too. His anger at Hermione ran hot again.

"Help the wounded and get out of here!" Harry wished with all of his might there was not a death among his side.

Using a few spells, he picked up each dead body of the Death Eaters and banished them through a window and into the burning house; Mad-Eye helped. Pulling out a full-sized piece of parchment he'd prepared earlier, Harry cast an Impervious spell on it, then laid the head of Bella on top of it instead of the rock he'd planned to use.

Everyone else was making their way towards the wards, with Ron limping and two others being carried. Only Ginny was still standing there and waiting on him. He looked at her and said, "Let's go," then they both started jogging and reached the wards at the same time that Moody limped through them.

He noticed that Tonks and Lupin were both gone, as were their charges. Harry hoped that was before the fighting began. Fleur and Ollivander were also gone. "Who's hurt?"

"Mine's not bad," Ron told him, "but Fred's hurt and Lee…" he couldn't finish and Harry feared the worst.

Arthur did a spell on Lee, who screamed in pain. "He's in a bad way, but I'm sure Molly has the potions we need if we can give them to him in time." He grabbed the normally jovial boy and Disapparated away.

"Everyone else go home," Moody said before he glared at Hermione with both eyes and then left himself.

Harry looked at Ginny, received a nod and then left. She arrived only a heartbeat behind him.

By the time he had the door open, Hermione arrived. Harry grabbed her upper right arm and pulled her in roughly and thrust her towards a chair in the kitchen.

"Ow! That hurt!" she told him crossly and glared at him.

"Sit!" he roared and pointed at the chair. "Sit and shut up and listen."

"But-"

"Sit!" he yelled at the top of his lungs and she found herself shoved backward such that she fell into the chair. It took her a moment to realize he had never touched her nor did he have his wand out.

"Why?!" he continued to yell at her. "Did you think your job was beneath you? Did you think you didn't have to protect anyone else or even yourself?

"You had two very simple responsibilities. One," he held up a finger as his rampage continued. "You were to search the rooms looking for Malfoy and a snake, which means always being aware of what's around you. Two," another finger came up, "you were to protect anyone else who needed it if they found Malfoy or the snake first. But you couldn't do that, could you?"

Harry watched her hang her head, but his anger still burned at her irresponsibility. "No! You found some books and had to go on holiday with them. If I had been five seconds later, or very probably even just a couple of seconds later, I'd be having to explain to your parents why you were never going to see them again. And why?" His voice went back to full volume. "Because of some books that weren't yours and you don't need."

"Merlin!" he exclaimed as he threw up his hands in exasperation. "I know we all give Ron grief for some of the stupid stuff he's done, but he's never done anything like that. Your lapse back there almost got you killed, and it delayed us getting out of the house for long enough that the four Death Eaters I least wanted to fight showed up.

"I truly can _**not**_ tell you just how _**lucky**_ none of us were killed and I hope I didn't just jinx Lee by saying that. Besides what you almost did to yourself, I am so angry at you right now for getting the others hurt."

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, her hair covering her eyes, but her cheeks were wet.

He wasn't moved by her tears. "Yeah, well, maybe you need to tell that to the ones who were hurt and try to make it up to them." Harry growled and then sighed. "I need to leave before I say something we'll all regret." He left with very loud crack.

As Hermione sobbed and realized her action really had almost allowed another to be killed, she also realized there was another pair of shoes in her sight. Looking up, she saw Ginny glowering at her.

"Go ahead and yell too, I deserve it."

Ginny took a deep breath before she let it out and shook her head slowly. "I would, but I think he's said all that needs to be said, plus I really need to go calm him down, then maybe take him back to that Muggle pub to really get his mind off of what happened. He's right that you really need to go make it up to Lee, Fred, and Ron. However, I think I will add this. Next time we're on a mission, you better keep your focus and if Harry says jump, then you jump right then without questions."

Hermione broke down when Ginny Apparated away, sobbing even harder. The impact of what might have been drove her grief for nearly half an hour. She'd finally cried herself out, almost making herself sick in the process. Gathering her strength, she managed to push herself up and make some tea. With care, she sipped the hot drink and worked at breathing normally again as well as trying to get her emotions completely under control.

After two cups that had been sipped slowly, she was breathing almost normally, though she was sure she looked a fright with reddened eyes, tear stained cheeks, and wild hair probably with grass still in it from when she'd been on the ground.

While it was Harry's week to cook, given that Ginny would probably take Harry to a pub again, she knew she'd be on her own for dinner. Not that it really mattered, she decided. It might be time for dinner soon, but she wasn't hungry.

The backdoor opened and Remus Lupin walked in. He raised an eyebrow at her before grabbing his own teacup and taking a seat on the other side of the table.

"Are you here to yell at me too?" she asked quietly, hoping he said no but knowing she deserved whatever he said to her.

He made his tea and said nothing for the minute or so he needed to steep his tea. The quiet during the waiting made it all worse.

"No," he said almost as quietly as she'd spoken. "It looks like enough yelling has already happened. James was always a pretty easy going person. Oh, you could rile him up and doing something to Lily was the easiest way, but he wasn't the one to watch out for. No, that was Lily."

Remus drank some of his tea. "They say not to anger redheads, or that redheads have a temper. I can vouch that was certainly true for Lily, with her dark red hair. I can't say that I saw Harry ever truly angry during the year I taught at Hogwarts, but Harry's intensity and temperament reminds me more of Lily than of James. Lily was the sweetest person most of the time, but her wrath was terrible to suffer."

Hermione nodded. "He was frightfully angry at me, and I … I deserve it. He's right, I almost got two people killed and possibly four, or maybe more." She put her forehead down and rested it on the table, appreciating the cool wood at the moment as the guilty thoughts hovered around her.

"Did you learn anything?" the man asked casually.

"Yes! I will remain focused when on a mission and be responsible. I will also follow Harry's orders; he _**is**_ our leader," she replied as she raised her head in time to see him nod.

"Good, see that you do and I think it will work out," he prophesied.

"How's Lee and is there anything I can do to help him or the others?" she asked.

"I think a heartfelt apology would be good for both of you," he said with a wan smile.

"Oh yes!" a girl's voice screamed from a distance.

Lupin almost dropped his teacup as he looked up, as if he could see through the ceiling like Mad-Eye could. He asked, "Has this happened before?"

"How embarrassing. I think I'll come with you," she said, standing suddenly and anxious to go.

"Has it?" he repeated.

Hermione looked away for a long moment before she answered, still not able to look at him. "Not like this no. They're normally very good about minimal displays of affection around me, but…"

"But what?"

It took a moment, but she finally said, "Sometimes when they've been out, like to Gringotts, or when we went to Hogwarts. When they came back, they," she paused for a moment before she said in a rush, "they couldn't keep their hands off each other and immediately went to their room."

"Interesting," he said, which made her look at him. "So after times of excitement or stress?"

"I guess so," she answered.

"Have you ever heard of the term 'adrenalin junkie'?" he asked with a hint of amusement.

"Uh, yes." Hermione stopped and looked at him hard. "You think they…" She gestured lamely upward in the couple's direction.

"I don't know them well enough," Lupin said, "but it's one explanation. They get all pumped up from dramatic and possible stressful situations, and they - uh - release it with each other."

At his grin, she realized he was making a sexual innuendo and turned away again. Her embarrassment returned full force when they heard Ginny scream, "Don't stop!"

"They say they're not shagging, but…" she gestured towards the couple again as if helpless to explain the situation any other way.

Lupin rose, held his hand towards the door as he really didn't want to listen to that either. "Hermione, you do realize that there are things short of shagging that can create those responses too, right?"

"Where are we going?" she asked in desperation as she hurried out the back door.

"To Aunt Muriel's, but this also seems like great teasing material." At her look of surprise, he added with a grin, "Don't forget I was a Marauder."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**[Tue - Sep 23]**

The next morning, Hermione forced herself up instead of hiding in bed as she wanted. Her emotions still felt a little raw. Seeing the trunk of books in the corner didn't help, but at least she wasn't bursting into tears like she had when she'd first found them last night. After taking time to get ready, she squared her shoulders and headed down for breakfast. She promised herself she'd do the right thing today.

Walking into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Ginny already up and at the table. She was fully dressed and looked like she might have been up for a while already; she was also looking through the newspaper. Harry was at the stove cooking a full breakfast, or so it appeared.

"Harry?" she called tentatively.

Ginny looked up with a steely gaze while Harry turned and gave her a hint of a smile. "Morning," he said quietly. "Breakfast still needs a few minutes."

When he started to return to the stove she hurried on before she lost her nerve. "Harry, I want to apologize for yesterday."

He turned back and watched her for a short moment with his piercing green eyes.

"You were correct that I wasn't thinking and let the situation get away from me, putting the whole mission in jeopardy. Worse, I almost got Lee Jordan killed, in addition to getting others hurt. I went to see them yesterday to help and we worked things out." She wasn't going to mention that part of her penitence was to be a test subject for three joke products, for which Lee had to be present to see. She had little doubt they'd be humiliating ones.

Harry turned and grabbed the eggs off the stove and put them on the table before turning the stove off. He gestured for her to take a seat. "Thank you for realizing that, Hermione," he said looking at her and ignoring the food, really all of them were. "I feel I must apologize for yelling at you. I'm not sorry for what I said, but I am sorry for the delivery."

She nodded, thankful they were working through this. "You're forgiven, but I don't think you were in the wrong. I," she paused and took a deep breath. "I really screwed up, Harry. When Malfoy was pointing his wand at me, all I could think of was how much I'd let you down. I won't do that again. I'll keep focus and follow orders - I promise."

He gave her a friendlier smile. "Thank you, I'm sure you will remember. Shall we eat? We have a lot to do today." He reached over and grabbed the plate of bacon, causing the other two to start grabbing for food too.

"Do we start phase two today?" she asked. Hermione couldn't decide how she felt about this: stressed or hopeful. After a moment, she decided some of each with hope taking the slight majority.

"We do," he confirmed and then smiled more. "Ginny has even been up for over an hour getting ready." He gave his girlfriend a lop-sided smile.

"Don't remind me," the redhead grumbled half-heartedly as she put jam on her toast.

He turned back to her. "I've already sent notice to Ron to let everyone know to be at the meeting place at noon. Since Riddle isn't supposed to be back for a couple of days, we should have time for everyone who fought yesterday to sleep a little before we start."

"Everyone except us," Ginny mumbled, but there was no real rancor, more a friendly complaint made because it was expected.

"So pack up when you're done eating," he told her. "I'm heading off at ten and you and Ginny will meet everyone and get them into position in case I'm a little late getting back."

Ginny must have already known because she didn't react to that, but it was news to Hermione. "What will you be doing?" The way he said it made it sound dangerous.

"I need to go talk to some potential allies and I think it'd be best if I do that alone," he replied. "I just thought of it last night."

Looking at Ginny, Hermione saw the girl was solidly focused on her breakfast, causing her to think the girl didn't agree with her boyfriend. "Are you sure?" Hermione had to ask.

"Reasonably so," he said before he smiled again. "But if I'm wrong, I'll Apparate away to safety."

Ginny looked up and frowned at him. "Assuming you're not already a pincushion," she said pointedly with a piercing look this time.

It was official, Ginny didn't agree with him on this and it being early in the morning probably didn't help; but it seemed as though Ginny wasn't going to fight him on this, so Hermione decided she wouldn't either.

As for the teasing matter, this didn't seem like the time.

— — —

When Harry left at nine, Hermione put her shrunken trunk down next to the small folded tent that Ginny would be taking. "Is all of your stuff inside?"

"Yep," the redhead answered, still grumpy. She sat there with her arms folded over her chest, leaning back on the couch, one leg crossed over the other and swinging. In fact, she almost looked a little like a caged animal.

"Who is Harry trying to recruit as allies?" asked Hermione.

It took a moment, but Ginny finally said, "The Centaurs."

"Oh," Hermione replied. "That kind of makes sense that he'd try. Why are you so unhappy about it?"

Ginny turned her head and stared with a disbelieving look. "Because he went alone, no backup at all."

Hermione dithered for a moment, trying to decide if she should continue this. "He might be right that they'll listen better if it's just him because then he's not as threatening looking as two or three of us would be."

"Maybe," Ginny replied grudgingly before turning back and looking straight ahead.

She almost added that Harry and Firenze got along fairly well, but decided it might be best not to continue the topic.

They sat in silence for over an hour. Hermione had no idea what Ginny was thinking about, but she had been running through the plan that Harry had outlined, looking for the things that could be done better.

When the clock chimed half past ten, Ginny rose, grabbed the folded tent, and headed for the back door - all without a word.

She's really pissed off, Hermione thought but wouldn't say. Ginny had probably been stewing on it during the entire wait.

Only a couple of seconds behind her friend, Hermione checked the area they had Apparated to. She didn't see anyone behind the Shrieking Shack, so they walked into the inside edge of the Forbidden Forest so they could still see the area people would Apparate too, but they could hide behind a tree if they wanted.

About fifteen minutes before everyone was to start arriving, they heard a noise behind them and saw Harry approaching.

Ginny looked like she couldn't decide whether to glare at him or look relieved, so Hermione asked, "How did it go?"

"Fortunately, I met Firenze first who took me to their herd leader. After I introduced myself, I had to verbally defend myself from Bane and point out that he's an idiot and doesn't know what he's talking about. After we got past that, I negotiated their help, successfully," he ended with a grin, which he dropped in a moment. "It comes with a small price, but I don't think it should be too hard."

"What?" Ginny demanded.

Harry sighed. "Before they'll help us we have to destroy the Acromantula colony, which really should have been done years ago."

"Is it even possible to do it that quickly?" Hermione asked.

"Not sure," Harry admitted, "but it's fine if we don't, we just don't get their help; they're not going to come after us or anything. I thought I'd ask Bill and we also have the staff in the school after we liberate them."

Ginny nodded slowly. "It's probably doable." She looked at him for a moment before she nodded to the side and said pointedly. "We need to talk."

Harry sighed and nodded his agreement. The two walked a little further into the forest and Harry cast a privacy spell.

Hermione would have watched them, but the sound of Apparation caused her to look the other direction and bring her wand up just in case it wasn't one of their group. Fortunately, it was Alastor Moody.

"Anyone else?" he asked as he looked around and his magical eye spun faster.

"No, sir, just the three of us," she answered.

Moody grunted. "What are they up to?" he asked and gestured behind her.

"They're having a discussion," Hermione replied without looking.

The old Auror chuckled. "It's a very vigorous discussion then."

Hermione turned quickly, in time to see Ginny in Harry's face and jabbing her finger onto his chest to make some point and she appeared to be yelling. He was scowling and arguing back. Hermione shrugged. "They had a difference of opinion about how Harry went about gathering some allies this morning."

Moody grunted again. "This is not a good time for lover's spat. People lose focus then someone gets killed."

Whether he meant it or not, Hermione took his comment as rebuke in regards to her actions yesterday. She did her best not react because she still felt she'd let them all down. "I've never really seen them fight, but their other disagreements didn't last long, so this probably won't either," she guessed. She was saved further guessing by the arrival of the Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hestia Jones.

A few minutes later, Remus and Tonks arrived and walked over. Remus grinned as did Tonks. "Seems like a strange place to make out."

Hermione whirled around again, this time to see Harry and Ginny in a passionate embrace and faces together. She gaped. "They were just yelling at each other and having a fight."

"I think the only fight," Tonks teased, "is whose tongue wins."

"I think I called it correctly about those two being adrenalin junkies," Remus said smugly.

Multiple cracks caused Hermione to turn back and see the Weasleys, without Molly and Lee Jordan, appear. Hermione had difficulty holding her smile in at what she thought was to come. She was not disappointed when Ginny's father pulled out his wand and cast a Stinging hex at the couple catching both in the side and causing them to spring apart. Ginny glared at her father while Harry looked a little embarrassed, but they both came over. Arthur turned to talk to Moody, not paying any attention to the couple now that he'd done his duty.

"What were you doing with Ginny?" Ron asked Harry a little heatedly.

It was Ginny that answered a little crossly, "It's really none of your business, but we were making up after a fight. Leave us alone."

Harry started counting those there as the last arrived. He called them all to follow him and he led them a little way into the forest, making some uncomfortable. "Now that we're more hidden," Harry started, "let me tell you what's going on. We're going to walk through the edge of the forest here until we're behind Hagrid's hut…"

"The Centaurs won't like that," Diggle complained.

"I've negotiated a deal with them for this passage," Harry told them all while looking at Diggle. "We go straight through without stopping and staying near the edge. If we do that, there won't be any problem.

"After that, we're going to lay a little trap for the Death Eaters at the school and clear them out. Finally, we're going to lay a trap for the rest of the Death Eaters and their leader, who I believe will be along tomorrow or the next day."

"How do you know that?" Hestia Jones asked.

"I know he's supposed to return from his trip then and I've given him a special invite, you could say," Harry grinned, "that will cause him to come here. He'll be in a hurry so I don't expect a large army, which allows us and some allies to deal with him. If I'm wrong and he brings a large army, we strike fast once and leave before people start to get hurt. That's it in broad strokes. Questions?" Harry looked around.

"Allies were mentioned," Moody queried.

"As you know, there are others who will join us later hitting the enemy from behind. I've also worked a deal with the Centaurs for a little effort on our part, but we'll discuss that after we've freed Hogwarts." When no one else asked anything, he said, "Let's go," and led the way with the group following him in single file, starting with Ginny, Hermione, and Ron, with Moody taking the end and watching behind them.

— — —

The Centaurs were true to their word and didn't bother them on their trip through the forest. Though Harry didn't see any, he had no doubt the Centaurs had watched his group.

At Hagrid's house, Harry had the twins and their father light a fire in the fireplace, also with instructions to make it smoky. A note to McGonagall and delivered via Dobby to look out towards Hagrid's house and then at lunch tell Snape and the Carrows what she'd seen was the start of the cleansing of the school.

With Moody and himself under Invisibility Cloaks and some of the others Disillusioned and behind trees, the three "teachers" with Dark Marks went down easily. All were secured and searched before Moody woke Snape.

Severus Snape looked livid to find Moody, Potter, and McGonagall all standing there looking at him lying on the ground, along with some others of the Order of the Phoenix looking on. "What are you dunderheads doing," he asked in his usual soft volume but full of intensity and loathing.

Harry had suggested that Moody talk, thinking that Snape would respond better to that; the retired Auror had agreed.

"I'm not sure I believe that you're still on our side, despite what you told McGonagall here," Mood told him, "but we thought we'd give you a chance to tell us anything helpful, to make it better for you at your trial."

Snape's eyes narrowed and he looked to be having to restrain himself. "After all I've done for the Order and Dumbledore?"

"That's the problem," Harry spoke up. "I watched you kill Dumbledore. I know you didn't see me because I was under an Invisibility Cloak, but I watched you come up and when Draco chickened out, you killed him with the Killing Curse. That seems pretty damning to me. Why do you think I ran after you that night?"

"I was under orders," Snape protested. "Dumbledore was dying and he forced me to do it so it would make me look more trustworthy to the Dark Lord."

"Yeah, we've heard all that," Moody told him. "However, I'm not sure what to believe. I do know that we're about to take down your Dark Lord. So, any last comments to help us and therefore yourself?"

Snape's eyes flicked around to the group and landed on one. "I have information, but it's for Potter's ears alone."

Harry grinned ever so slightly and it wasn't a kind grin either. "If it's about Dumbledore's plan, save your breath. I've found out everything I need to know already; not to mention we abandoned that plan within a week of his leaving. No, what Moody is asking about is current information, like how many students are Death Eaters or are any of them a sympathizer and so will give us trouble. Names would be very helpful. Or how many Death Eaters could your Dark Lord bring with him? That sort of information."

"But Dumbledore left information with me you won't get from anyone else. You must have it," Snape insisted.

"I'm sure he told you that," Harry said without a care, "but it doesn't change the fact that I don't need that information because I've already taken care of the important task he set for me." Harry now openly smirked. "I'm sure this will be news to you, but yesterday we killed the three Lestranges and Lucius Malfoy, along with the big snake that lived there. So you see, I've accomplished what I needed to without all of Dumbledore's little games."

Snape blinked and looked dumb-founded for a moment before he looked at McGonagall. "You believe me, don't you?"

The Transfiguration teacher looked at him for a moment. "I'm not sure what to believe in regards to you, Severus. I know Albus said he could trust you, but your actions over the years have left much to be desired. I may put in a good word at your trial as I have seen you blunt most of the Carrows' sadistic efforts towards the students, but to trial you will go.

"Six is the correct number we need to restrain, is it not? Five in Slytherin and one in Ravenclaw?" she asked.

Snape closed his eyes and softly said, "Yes."

"And the total number your Dark Lord could bring?" Moody pushed.

"It depends," Snape answered as he opened his eyes and adopted his usual mask. "If he brings all the marked ones, it could be as many as 30. I don't know how many he can count on from the Ministry, but it could easily double that number."

"What if he's afraid and trying to move quickly?" asked Harry. Snape looked at him and Harry felt a faint Legilimency probe, so he kicked the man in the shoulder which stopped the probe. "Don't try your mind magic on me."

"I don't know," Snape answered finally, "but probably not more than the 30."

Harry looked at the others. "I'll say he made an attempt to be helpful when asked, but I think he needs to go wait with the others."

McGonagall and Moody looked at each other and nodded. "Agreed."

Moody pulled out a phial with a dark potion inside and knelt down.

Snape looked nervous. "What's that?"

"Draught of Living Death." Moody chuckled at the look Snape gave him and as the bound man tried to roll away. "It's for the best, laddy. This way, you can't escape, we don't have to feed you, and you'll still be as good as new when it's time for your trial. Don't worry, not that you'll notice, but you'll be joining others that we captured and it's well hidden."

Snape resisted, but Moody used a few spells and the potion went down and Snape changed to having the appearance of being dead. The Carrows were given the potion too, though they were never revived from having been stunned.

While Moody and Shacklebolt took the three Death Eaters away, Harry turned to McGonagall. "Will you have any trouble capturing the six mentioned?"

"No," she answered. "They won't expect it. I'll not be giving them that potion, but we'll make a secure room and they can stay in there, though I'm sure they'll think their rations are a bit meager compared to what they're used to."

Harry nodded. "Sounds good. After that, can you and Professor Flitwick please come back here and join us for a planning meeting. Just call out my name and someone will lead you in. We'll have a tent but it'll be hidden with a Notice-Me-Not. Oh, and bring Neville Longbottom too please. Will two hours be enough?"

The professor gave a small smile for a moment at his requests, even if he did say please. "Very well, we'll see you then, Mr Potter."

As she left, Harry turned to Arthur Weasley. "I'm sure Hagrid won't mind, but set up his house however you need for people to sleep there. I think bunk beds would be helpful to allow more to say there. I'll put bunk beds in my tent for the rest."

"I thought we'd sleep in the castle where it's more comfortable," Diggle protested.

"I'm sure some can, but we'll discuss that at the meeting." Harry turned and easily found Ginny nearby, his backpack at her feet. "Time to set up our temporary home. Behind the hut I think."

She grinned and handed him the backpack before she and most of the others followed.

"Will you show me what me mean by bunk beds?" Arthur asked.

Harry looked at him in surprise. "I'd be happy to. I'm surprised you don't already know about them considering you had seven children."

"I'm sure it's only because I was too busy being a father to them," he said smoothly and jovially.

Harry smiled and grabbed Ginny's hand with his free one. "I think you did a pretty good job."

The tent went up quickly and Harry led them inside, allowing most of the adults to create chairs for everyone, making it a little crowded. Harry took Arthur into one of the bedrooms that Harry had transfigured some old chairs from the Black home into bunk beds that morning.

"Oh, you stacked them and added a ladder," Arthur said in amazement. "What a clever way to save space."

Harry looked at Hermione and rolled his eyes, which caused the girl to giggle. Ginny gave him a mock glare for all of two seconds and thumped him lightly on the back where her hand was around him. He understood her message to be nice to her father.

"It's a little easier to do it in four transfigurations," Harry explained. "The first for the frame, the second for the ladder, and the last two for each of the mattresses."

"Yes, yes, I see," the man said excitedly. "Since there's time before the meeting, I'll go do it now." He hurried out.

"I'm familiar with them, so I'll go supervise," Bill said with a grin and left as well, with Fleur following.

Ron asked, "Who's sleeping where?"

"You're welcome to look around," Harry told him, "but since I have two bedrooms and we have Hagrid's place, plus the school, I don't think we'll have any problems holding everyone."

The younger ones who heard that left to check out the tent and Hagrid's place after Arthur finished with it. In the meantime, Harry and Ginny worked on making a stack of sandwiches for a quick lunch, which was appreciated by all.

— — —

"Hey Neville," Harry greeted his friend when the Hogwarts contingent arrived. "How has it been this year?"

"If you don't count all the threats, having to eat in our common room all the time with lesser quality food, and poorer instruction, it's not been too bad," Neville said with a grin. "We have missed you four."

"Well, it is good to see you again and we're here to make up for at least some of that," Harry told him before looking to the next person. "Professor Flitwick, it's good to see you again." He gave a nod to McGonagall, since he'd seen her a couple of hours ago.

"Likewise, Mr Potter," the Charms master replied. "I understand this is the time of reckoning, though hopefully not ours."

"It is. If you'll take a seat, we can get started." Harry looked around and saw a few more Order members entering his tent. "Everyone take a seat quickly and we can get started. It's a little crowded, so you'll need to sit closely."

Ginny walked over and whispered with a tease, "You could sit on my lap if you were free." Knowing he had to be up front and she already knew the plan, she winked before she walked over to the side where the view wasn't as good and sat on his trunk.

Harry shook his head at her teasing as he walked to the corner where he had his easel and blackboard set up. Seeing everyone mostly settled, he decided to start.

"Thank you for coming. I know everyone's excited to end the war, I certainly am." He heard a few nervous chuckles.

"I'm going to tell you a few things then outline the plan." Harry was amazed that everyone accepted him leading this. While his friends were used to this, he supposed the adults saw him as Dumbledore's protégé, which he tried not to think about.

"First, I will confirm the rumors that I am the Chosen One, as the newspaper has said." He was glad no one seemed surprised. "There is a prophesy that says he'll die by my hand, however that works out. Of course, that doesn't mean others can't help and that's where everyone else comes into the plan."

"Second, Tom Riddle, You-Know-Who's real name, is now mortal and can be killed, where he couldn't before yesterday." That evoked a few murmurs. "He had performed a few rituals to extend his life, but we've undone them over the last few months, again with help from some of you - thank you again." From the various nods and smiles, he was glad he'd remembered to thank them.

"Third, in addition to the battle, if we can do a task tonight, we'll gain some allies. That will require some extra work, but I'm hoping Professor Flitwick has a solution and we can recruit some of upper year students that he can instruct to solve this." Flitwick nodded his agreement. "Splendid, we'll discuss that soon."

Turning the little blackboard around, Harry showed his drawing. "As you can guess, this is a drawing of the area near here, including the path from the front gates to Hogwarts's front door. This is where we'll attack them when they come tomorrow or the next day."

Harry paused and nodded when Arthur held up a hand and a finger. "Sorry to interrupt, but how do you know he'll come then? Is that from our action yesterday?"

"Yes. For those that don't know, we convinced Narcissa Malfoy in exchange for her safety to tell us how long Riddle is away and she said he won't to return until tomorrow at the earliest; so we have time to set up a good defense. Also," he looked at Arthur again, "you didn't see me, but I left a message for Riddle yesterday that should upset him and cause him to come here. I hope he will be angry and not thinking clearly, plus in a hurry so he won't bring a big army." Harry paused. "I realize that's a gamble and he could come with a mob that's too big for us to handle. If so, we'll take one shot and leave so we can plan again for another day. Who knows, I might get lucky and get him in that one shot."

"Thank you," Arthur said quietly.

Harry spent the next fifteen minutes explaining the details of his plan. A few good suggestions were given and incorporated.

When the battle planning was done, Harry said, "One final bit of planning. While we need as many fighters as we can get, if you don't feel you can join me on the front lines, then you can either help McGonagall and Neville defend the castle, or you can stay here during the fight and help us with healing immediately after. I don't expect the battle to take long one way or the other.

"This also has bearing on where you sleep. For those who will be helping me directly, I'd like you to sleep here in the tent or in Hagrid's hut so you'll be available on short notice." He looked around and did his best to keep a straight face. "I don't care where you sleep, but I suspect some will be most comfortable with at least one room for only girls. If you plan to help defend from the castle, please see Professor McGonagall about the possibility of staying in the castle."

He pointed to the stack of bags and shrunken trunks in another corner. "Grab your kits and get settled. Food will be available here and will be serve yourself from the bowls that are provided. Good luck everyone and keep an ear open for the signal and pick a fighting buddy such that at least one of you knows the Disillusion charm."

As the group broke up, Ginny came over. "So Potter, who's your fighting buddy?"

"I don't know, I haven't picked one yet, but I think a girl because I'd like a cute one around." He gave her a suggestive look. "Know anyone who fits that description and is free?" He stepped forward standing right in front of her, imagining her warm brown eyes alight with flames and were smoldering.

"Break it up, you two," Ron groused as he walked up. "Is there anything else that needs to be done?"

It was difficult, but Harry broke the locked gaze with his girlfriend and looked at Ron for a moment. "Oh, yes, there was one thing I forgot. I need Susan Bones; I wonder if she's free?" he mostly held his mirth in. He looked at Ginny and saw her narrow her eyes. He loved winding her up sometimes. "I'm not sure she's cute enough though." He grabbed Ginny and kissed her, her resistance gone in under two seconds.

"I said quit it," Ron complained. "Or at least wait until I'm gone."

"You're going to get it for that later, Potter," she threatened with only a hint of playfulness.

"I can hardly wait," he told her and wiggled his eyebrows. "Find your dad and ask him to bring Lee Jordan here. I should be back in about ten or fifteen minutes, so no hurry."

Ginny looked at Ron. "You, stay with him." She turned, hair swinging, to find her father.

Harry led Ron out of the tent and towards the castle.

"Mate, you're playing with fire; you know that, right?" Ron asked a little worriedly.

Harry couldn't help his chuckle. "I would have agreed with you at the beginning of the summer, and perhaps that's still a little true."

"A little?!" Ron protested loudly. "Are you daft?"

Shaking his head, Harry tried to explain. "What you don't know is that she and I have had a lot of talks. I've found that our humor is similar. She's also been teaching me how to tease and flirt. I was rubbish at it at first, but we both like it - as long as we don't take it too far." He sighed. "Kind of did that once and learned the hard way where the line is."

Now Ron grinned at him. "She used her Bat Bogey hex on you, didn't she?"

It was Harry's turn to grin. "She did, but she also learned a valuable lesson."

Ron looked confused. "What? She's really good at that."

Harry saw they were approaching the front doors and stopped to give them a little more privacy. "Ron, it is a really, really annoying thing to have done to you, but if the person has the focus and pain tolerance, it can be ignored and the caster may find herself not so victorious as spells are cast back."

Ron blinked for a moment before he caught on and grinned. "So what did you do to her?"

"Let's just say it was embarrassing and I doubt she'll do that spell on me again," Harry replied and started walking again. "Of course, that will probably just make her be more creative, which I may regret, but I'm sure it'll be interesting."

Shaking his head as they entered the school, Ron said simply, "You are mental."

Harry just laughed as they walked into the Great Hall and saw a few people there, but unfortunately not the person he was looking for. "I wonder where she is. Hey!" he called out to a Hufflepuff, maybe a third year based on size and that she looked a little familiar. "Do you know where Susan Bones is?"

The girl shook her head vigorously and squeaked, "No!" before running off.

"Err, that seemed at least a little rude," Harry complained.

"It's either because you're public enemy number one or else The Great Harry Potter," Ron teased.

"Shut it," Harry returned and then remembered his map. Pulling it out of a pocket he activated it. "Found her," he said after a moment. "Towards the kitchens."

"Ooh, good idea," Ron said with a hint of excitement, "a snack."

Joking with his friend was fun and he'd missed that, but Harry did wonder about him sometimes. Deciding not replying was best, he led them away on his hunt.

A few minutes later, he was knocking on a big barrel. "What are we here?" Ron asked. "I thought we were going to the kitchens. They're just around the corner."

Harry was saved from answering by Hannah Abbott answering the door, wand in hand. "Harry?!" She rushed out and gave him a hug, which he had to admit silently that he enjoyed.

"Hi, it's good to see you," Harry told her when they broke apart. He noticed that Ron was scowling, probably a little jealous he didn't get a hug like that. "Err, could you get Susan for us? I need to talk to her."

"Sure." She grinned for a moment. "Want to come in? I think that's allowed since you're not in school anymore."

"All right," he said and looked at Ron who nodded and followed the blonde in, with the door automatically closing behind them.

"Susan!" The blonde called and waved her friend over.

When Susan arrived, she gave Harry a hug too. "It's really good to see that you're doing well. We've all been worried about you."

Again, Ron looked a little miffed and Harry could understand since it happened twice, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. "Thanks, Susan. I don't mean to be rude and not ask how everyone is doing, but we're a bit rushed at the moment so that will have to wait until later. Right now I need to ask if you know if you're a descendent of Helga Hufflepuff. Since you're from one of the older families, I was hoping either you would be or would know someone who is."

Susan gave him a smile that indicated she was humoring him because he was dense. "Harry, by this point, most Wizarding families are descended from one of the founders. While the Abbotts," she held a hand towards her friend, "aren't an old family, even they probably have Helga Hufflepuff as an ancestor. Even Ron probably does too."

Ron's posture eased at being included and he smiled at pretty strawberry-blonde.

"Hmm, well, could I get you, each of you, to come with me?" Harry asked. "I need a little help and am told a descendant of Hufflepuff would be best."

Susan and Hannah looked at each other, but it was Susan who said with wide eyes, "You have a blood-"

Harry stopped her with a hand over her mouth. "Shush," he told her quietly as he looked around. There weren't many others in the room and no one seemed to be giving them their undivided attention. "You have to swear to keep this secret for at least a few days, and you might want to think about not ever telling anyone. Follow me if you want to see and help."

He turned to go and wasn't surprised both girls followed after that setup. He could tell they knew he had a Hufflepuff artifact and were curious … who wouldn't be.

"Do you really…" Hannah started to ask before Harry interrupted her.

"Not saying here." He gave each of the girls a serious look. "Consider how people are always hounding me about what happened to me as a baby when I had nothing to do with it. If you want trouble like that, and I promise it's trouble, then feel free to spread it around. That surprised the girls and they each became thoughtful looking."

He looked at Ron, who grinned at him. "Don't worry, I've learned my lesson. A little fame is good, but I don't want to be you anymore."

As he led them towards the tent, they saw multiple people working outside on and around the path, doing various bits of magic. "What are they doing?" Susan asked.

"Preparing for the battle to come," Harry said solemnly, causing them to not ask further questions.

Leading them into the tent, he saw Ginny waiting for him. "Dad said it wasn't a good idea to move him, but agreed this was better than bringing them over to our place," she said vaguely. "We've grabbed one of the bedrooms for the moment."

With a nod, he opened his trunk and pulled out a box and a Muggle plastic bottle of water, before securing it back. "Follow us, please," he told the visitors and followed Ginny.

He could understand why Lee was in a room by himself. He was covered with a lot of cuts on his face and neck and didn't look good at all being so pale. He was also unconscious.

Turning to the girls he said, "I think the best way to do this is for each of you to close your eyes. I'm going to put a smallish object in your hands. Don't talk about the shape or what you think it is. Instead, concentrate on what it feels like magically."

"You're trying to see if we have a magical connection with it?" Susan asked boldly and a little excitedly.

"Correct, eyes closed please." He set the bottle down and opened the box. Because she was closer, he handed the porcelain cup to Hannah first.

"Cool." She moved it around. "Smooth. Peaceful."

"Thank you," he said neutrally and took the cup from her and gave it to Susan.

"Yes, cool but warming. I can't quite make it out but there's something almost like singing," Susan said.

"Close enough, but let's find out," Harry said. "Feel free to look at the real Hufflepuff cup."

The girls ooh'd and ahh'd while Arthur and Ron looked amazed. Harry opened the bottle and held it over the cup which Susan was still holding. "Real water, not conjured, that's very important I was told. Let it sit or steep for one minute then let the injured drink directly from the cup."

"How do you know all of that?" Susan asked suspiciously. "The only knowledge left is that this is a cup of healing, but not how to use it."

"A very lucky find," he said simply as he poured the water in and looked at Ginny. "Since you have a watch." He put the water bottle down and draped an arm around her shoulder a little possessively, which he thought she'd appreciate after his teasing earlier. Her look of appreciation told him he'd done well.

"Time," Ginny announced.

"Give it to him slowly. Mr Weasley, you may have to do the spell to help him swallow," Harry instructed.

Susan and Arthur worked together, slowly giving what could be termed a potion to Lee. By the time the cup was emptied, the boy was regaining his color. A few minutes later, the cuts that had looked so bad on his face and neck started to lighten as they healed to the pink lines of new skin.

"That's amazing, almost like Phoenix Tears," Arthur murmured.

Harry grinned broadly he was so happy this had worked out well for their friend. "Susan, could I beg you to join us for this battle. I don't want you on the front lines, just nearby so if anyone is seriously injured, you can help them quickly. Hannah is welcome to join you, even be your guard if you like."

Both looked surprised, but Susan nodded and said, "Yes, I'll help." She looked at the cup again. "With this, I'd feel terrible if I didn't and someone died who could have been saved."

"Thank you," he told her sincerely. "I feel the same way and that's why I asked. We're asking those who are fighting with us to stay down here so you don't have to run to join us. I'll hold the cup until you return with your trunks so you can hide it in there. See Hermione for a place to sleep." He held the box out and Susan placed the cup in there.

"We'll be back soon," the two 'Puff girls told him and left.

Harry looked at Ginny's father who said, "I won't say a word either about that cup being found, but thank you for helping Lee and thank you trying to make sure we all survive."

Ginny followed Harry back out while he put the cup in his trunk, which only he could open and lock. "Where are we sleeping?"

"I figured we'll stay in the trunk right here." He looked at her. "Not that I want it, but it might be best to let Hermione join us, taking one of the chairs while we take the couch. Ron too if Hermione is agreeable. I'd like to hope that would stop people from talking too much and also make your dad happy."

She started to protest then stopped. "Yeah, good point about Dad. All right, I'll go find Hermione but I think I'll leave Ron out, if you don't mind."

"Sure. I'll go join the others making ward stones; you can find me there." He squeezed her hand before leaving.

— — —

Harry looked at the large group assembled. Besides all of the Order members, there was about half of the staff along with a group of seventh years plus a few sixth years; all told, there were sixty of them participating. In front of him was a basket of the ward stones some of them had created earlier today, enough for three for each person. In addition, most had a broom … a few would be riding with others, such as Hermione and Neville. He had wondered how an operation like this was done, now he knew.

"May I have your attention!" McGonagall called as the sun was heading down, giving them at best an hour of sunlight left. She looked at him and nodded, so he picked up the basket, took his allotted ward stones, and passed the basket to Neville. "Take three stones each and mount your brooms. Mr Potter, as the leader for the far side, please head off."

Harry mounted his broom with Neville behind him and rose, Ginny (who still used Regulas's broom) was immediately after him with Hermione sitting behind her. He took the long way around the circle they were going to form so the Acromantula wouldn't see them, or that was the plan.

They'd create a big circle, nearly three times the size they really needed, then start walking in towards the center to shrink the circle. If they came within five meters of the person next to them, they could stop; or if they came too near the large spiders, then they'd have to stop. When the task was done, there would be a large bare spot in the forest, but Professor Sprout and her NEWT students would be taking care of planting in there later.

When Harry arrived to where he thought he needed to be, he turned towards Hogwarts and saw Professor Flitwick, who was to be across from him. Professor McGonagall was on his right and Remus Lupin was on the left. They were be like the four points on the compass. Flitwick directed them with arm signals until they were all in position.

The rest of the group flew around the outside and took up position until they had a big circle in the air. Another arm gesture from Flitwick and they all started to slowly sink down, taking care to go between trees and still keep their circle.

As they landed and dismounted, Neville said, "Thanks mate, that's something I'm still not comfortable doing."

"No problem," Harry said, slinging the strap on his broom over this head so it lay diagonally over his back. "Shall we?"

"See you in a bit," Neville said as he walked to the left.

Only because he knew where to look could he find Ginny. She was alone, so Hermione must have left to take her place on his girlfriend's right.

Slowly and carefully, and as silently as possible, he started walking towards the center, wand in hand and thankful they weren't doing this in the dark, though it was definitely heading that way based on the shadows created by the big trees.

There was a part of him that disliked having to do this, and in a way he was surprised Hermione was willing to take part in this operation. He knew Hagrid would be against this, but then Hagrid had let them run wild and so was part of the problem, even if his heart was in the right place.

The issue was the spiders were intelligent and could talk, so he really didn't want to destroy them. Yet, they had to be destroyed because they refused to live peaceably with others, mainly the Centaurs. Over the last few years, the Acromantula had started to hunt the younger Centaur foals, as well as the Unicorn foals, and any other smaller creature in the forest. One could even call them the Death Eaters of the Forbidden Forest. Once it had been explained to her in those terms, even Hermione could understand why this had to be done, even if she didn't like killing another intelligent species.

After a few minutes, it became easier to see Ginny and Neville, then eventually Hermione beyond Ginny and Colin Creevey beyond Neville. He could also start to hear the chittering of the spiders, so he made a signal to Ginny and Neville that he was stopping and he stood behind a large tree. They also took cover behind a large tree. Now they waited for the signal and he hoped the spiders didn't discover them.

The noise level from the spiders suddenly rose, but he also heard the loud cry of a crow. That was the signal and he assumed their group had been discovered. Quickly, he stepped out from behind the tree and tossed a ward stone diagonally left, another diagonally right, then one right in from of him, each about three meters apart. Neville and Ginny were doing the same.

His first job done, he took watch on both the ground and in the trees for spiders trying to escape. He also watched for the ward stones lighting, there should be a line on either side coming towards him. When he saw that, he had one last task.

He heard tree branches breaking in front of him and looked harder. A stream of fire came from Ginny's wand, so he cast his own Fireball hex. It was a little early, but they had to contain the spiders until the ring of ward stones was completely activated.

A spider jumped towards him, the fur on its body aflame. Neville tried to hit it and missed. Harry cast in a slicing motion and three of the legs on the medium-sized spider were chopped off, which slowed it down. Neville cast again and his Blasting hex hit it head on, stopping the spider at the edge of the ring.

"Good one," Harry told his friend.

"Thanks for slowing it down," Neville returned. "Ugly buggers, aren't they?"

"Meh, they probably think the same about us," Harry commented with a grin, getting a chuckle from Neville and Ginny.

The fire on this side had been started, but they could also hear more spiders coming. "We need a wall of flames, now!" Harry ordered in a shout.

At least half a dozen people started casting Fireball hexes, creating a slowly building wall of fire. Not a moment too soon, he saw the ward stones on his right started to come on, one per second. Looking left, he saw those coming on too, but they seemed further away. He wondered if the circle would be complete in time.

A spider jumped through the flames towards Neville. The boy cast a hex as he dove behind a tree but it missed. Colin hit it with something, but it only slowed it not stopped it. Harry cast a Blasting curse, which hit and slammed it into a tree, dazing it enough it struggled to stand. Colin finished it off with a Blasting hex.

Harry would have congratulated the boy, but two more were running their way fast. It seemed even they recognized what the stones were for and were running for the last opening. One spider jumped and slammed into the magical wall as the stone in that position turned on. The other spider jumped over Colin, halfway up a tree.

Running that way, Harry cast several curses, each missing. Several people were trying to help out and in the hail of spells, someone hit the spider and killed it.

Harry turned and saw the ring pass his old position and the stones on the left were coming toward him. Knowing it was time, he cast a continuous Fireball hex, letting it stream until the stone in front of him activated. The stone to the left of him was the last and it turned on too, completing the enclosure.

A few more spiders slammed into the magical wall, but it held them and the flames inside. The wall also rose to twice the height of the trees, so there was no escape there. The magical wall would not be taken down until the fire was out, probably in the morning if not longer.

As he relaxed and turned to Neville to comment on the job being well done, a scream raced on the left and away from the burning area and a set of twins raced by on brooms. "Crap!" he said as he unslung his broom and jumped on it to fly after them.

While flying through the forest was fun in that it was like an obsticle course, he couldn't get enough speed to fully catch up, so at the first opening in the canopy above him, he pulled up and flew vertically until he was over the trees and then raced forwards after the escapees.

A whoop caused him to look back and he wasn't surprised to see Ginny giving chase as well. Looking forward and down, he urged his broom faster knowing there was bragging rights to be had.

Seeing tree tops moving strangely a little to his left, he angled that direction and flew lower, the occasional extra tall branch slapping his feet. He finally saw the spiders and had to slow a little as he tracked them. It took a little patience, but they were finally visible in an opening in the trees so he started casting Blasting hexes. His second spell was a hit and one screamed and dropped. The other went left for heavier cover.

Harry tried to move left too, but had to fly up and over Ginny who'd caught up to him, grinning as she passed him. They flew together as in formation, each searching for the last spider. Ginny whooped again and rolled right and dove through an opening in the trees. He tried to follow but had been a little out of position and bounced off a limb, which slowed him down.

By the time he'd recovered, Ginny was casting spells and one hit the spider causing it to fall to the forest floor. Each of them slowed down and carefully wound around the trees until they could see the spider on the ground, obviously dead.

Ginny looked at him and smiled. "I got one too."

He flew up next to her, pointing the other direction to make things easier, and grabbed her waist to pull them together. She grabbed his head and proceeded to kiss him hard. He was so getting into this that his hand started to move up her body when they heard, "There you are! Good, you got it."

Ginny pulled back and muttered, "Such bloody bad timing. We got to try this again," she told him.

"Agreed," he breathed heartily, trying to get his racing heart back under control. Flying through the forest had been exhilarating, and kissing on brooms was pretty brilliant too, he thought.

As they pulled apart, they saw Fred and George fly near and stop. Harry couldn't help it and started laughing, which set Ginny off as well.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you two," one of the twins said as he pulled his wand out and started cleaning himself up; the other followed his example.

"But I like the," Ginny gasped and pointed, "entrails?" She continued to grin and chuckled at her brother's expense.

"I think so," Harry agreed with much amusement in his voice. "That's very artfully draped around you, and on your broom."

"I'd like to see how you avoid exploding spider that went off right in front of you," the other twin groused.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and burst out laughing again.

After a moment, Harry managed to calm himself enough to say, "At least we got them. Were there any others?"

"Don't think so," one twin said.

"Let's head back," the other twin added, "I really want to take a shower."

It didn't take long to get back to camp by flying above the trees. They could also see that the fire was burning heartily. Arriving, they saw the others were eagerly awaiting them.

Harry felt bad when he saw Neville there. "Sorry, I forgot I was your ride. Glad you made it back."

"No worries," Neville waved the apology off. "What you were doing was more important. I assume you got them?"

"Yes," Harry answered. "Where there any others on another side?"

"No, that was it."

"Right, I need to go talk to the Centaurs and tell them we got them." Harry looked over at the fire burning not too far away again feeling sad that the deed had had to be done.

It didn't take very long and dinner was underway by the time he returned. He grabbed a plate and joined his friends.

"Well?" Ginny asked.

Harry swallowed. "They were appreciative and will help us. I just have to send them a Patronus, though they promised to keep a look out."

When she was done, Ginny put her empty plate down and sat closely, her arm around his back and leaning her head on his shoulder.

Harry finished his dinner and snuggled with his girlfriend as the friends talked. He looked up at the bell over the main door which would give the signal that someone was trying to get in the gates. He was looking forward to the final battle to get it over with, yet he was also afraid that friends would be killed.

As a few started to leave the tent, Harry stood too. "I doubt Riddle is coming tonight if he's not here by now, but I'm going to bed so I can be up early."

He went down into his trunk, grabbed some clothes, and headed to the bathroom to wash the smell of smoke and sweat off. When he came back out, he saw Hermione looking at the ladder. He looked up to see the lower half of Ginny, who was obviously talking to someone on the outside.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Her father requested a word," his friend said before she smirked at him. "No playing around and loud screaming," she teased as Ginny descended and joined them.

Harry did his best to keep a neutral expression. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right, sure you don't," she returned, still teasing. "Ginny's screams made it really obvious what you two were doing."

Ginny looked at Harry and smirked. "She fell for it?"

"Seems like it," he said wryly.

"What?" Hermione asked, suddenly not quite as sure of herself.

Ginny shook her head. "Hermione, it was all faked to get you to leave and go make up with Lee instead of moping about your bad decision. You screwed up, but as Harry told me when I went up, you also needed to go make it right as soon as possible. I thought that was the best way to make you leave considering how you keep asking about us."

"But, it sounded like…" Hermione paused her hesitant defense before looking more confident. "I know what you were doing up there," she said authoritatively.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hermione, you're one of the most knowledgeable people I know, but as my best friend I can promise you I knew what would get you moving. I can also promise you that I know far more about privacy spells than you do. Hello! Only girl with six brothers," she pointed at herself, "including some of the best jokesters ever, living where privacy is scarce? Please, I never forget privacy spells if they're needed. You only heard anything because you were meant to."

Hermione looked at her other best friend, who was still smiling at her. "Done only to get you moving," he confirmed. "I was still pretty upset with you, so while it may have been a little cruel, I agreed. I'm most impressed that Ginny's thought that her act would make you leave was actually true. I thought you'd creep up the stairs to verify what was going on. Guess I lost that bet."

"I'm not bothered by that," Ginny teased him.

"I'm sure you aren't," Harry quipped, giving her a teasing look back.

"But, but…" Hermione still had trouble believing what she was being told.

"What did your dad want?" Harry asked, feeling that was enough at Hermione's expense.

A slightly sour look crossed her face for a brief moment before she smiled again. "It seems Remus Lupin was with Hermione during our act and told my Dad. I had to reassure him it was a joke on Hermione which backfired a little on us. Don't worry about it though, it's my problem." She grabbed her stuff and headed into the bathroom.

Harry saw Hermione was still staring at him, looking like she was probably still trying to figure out if he and Ginny was telling the truth or not. He just smiled to himself as he unfolded the couch and made it ready.

When all three were in their expected beds with the lights going out, Harry kissed Ginny's forehead and whispered, "I love you."

"Love you too, Harry; and don't worry, we'll get through this."

Hermione was almost asleep a few minutes later when she heard Harry whisper, "We can try plan C first, but I think plan B is the only one that will work."

"Don't care as long as one of them works," Ginny replied sleepily.

Hermione wanted to ask what they were talking about now but was afraid of the answer considering it was those two and their joke on her - if it really was a joke, which made her a little upset with herself because she couldn't figure out if it really had been a joke or not.

* * *

(A/N: I hope you enjoyed that. Now we're all set up for the big ending.)


	12. Chapter 12

**Ch 12**

**[Wed - Sep 24]**

Hermione wasn't quite sure what woke her, but she blinked awake and had a moment's disorientation until she remembered they were sleeping in Harry's trunk. Sitting up, she looked around and saw her friends spooned together, his arm over her, and her long red hair splayed above her and around her neck. Honestly, they looked good together.

She heard noises from the opening of the trunk and realized others getting up is what woke her. Glancing at her watch, she noticed it was a little after eight and they'd slept in. Considering they'd been very busy yesterday, it made sense.

Getting out of bed quietly, she grabbed the clothes she'd laid out last night and went to the bathroom to change. When she came out, she saw Ginny was on her back and awake with Harry on his side and leaning on his elbow; they were whispering and both grinning about something.

"I hope I didn't wake you, but the morning is here," she told them as she put her pyjamas in her trunk.

"No, the sounds from the others outside did," Harry commented easily. He kissed his girlfriend quickly and rose too. "I'll be out in a minute then you can have the bathroom." He disappeared into the small room.

"Good night's sleep?" Hermione asked, just to say something into the silence.

"As good as most," Ginny answered as she sat up. "I liked the bed, did you like yours?"

Hermione had to stop to think about it. "Actually, it was comfortable. I really wasn't expecting that."

Ginny went to her trunk and by the time she had pulled clothes for the day out, Harry had returned. The redhead went into the bathroom and Harry grabbed his clothes.

"I'll leave and close the lid so you can change," Hermione told him as she headed for the ladder.

"That would be fine with me," Harry said, "but Ginny told me Arthur would prefer you leave the lid open. I'll just duck into the storage room to change."

Not sure what else to do, Hermione exited the trunk and walked to the set of tables that held the food while others were starting to eat, so she grabbed her plate, filled it, then joined the Weasley twins and to her surprise Lee Jordan.

"Lee! It's good to see you, but are you well enough for this?" She had to know, still feeling a little guilty about what had happened to him even if he had told her he held no hard feelings.

The boy grinned. "Yeah, I'm pretty good, maybe not 100 percent but it's close. Their mum," he jerked his fork towards the twins, "didn't want to let me out of the house, but I told her I was good and walked out and Apparated away with her calling my name after me." That received a laugh from everyone including Hermione.

"These two have caught me up on the plan." Lee paused for a brief moment. "Not sure I'll be on the front lines with you, but I'll definitely be with Neville. Maybe if What's-His-Face waits a couple of days I'll join you."

"I'm glad you're doing better," she told him sincerely.

Harry came out of the trunk with Ginny right behind him. They each grabbed a plate and joined her table.

By the time they'd all finished breakfast, a group from Hogwarts walked in and joined them. It was most of the group from the old DA club. She greeted everyone and even hugged Luna, Lavender, and Parvati.

Going outside and inspecting the area she knew they'd be fighting in, she was surprised to see that it looked the same as before, but was told it was ready, which really was the point because they were counting heavily on surprise. Inspecting it herself, she found the defensive areas were indeed there. In addition, while it was camouflaged, there was even a new tunnel under the road for easy access from one side to the other.

Harry was also inspecting it she saw. She did a double take when Ginny joined him because she was wearing Muggle mirrored sun glasses with a big grin. Hermione guessed Ginny had convinced Harry to buy them on their last outing.

Hermione supposed that about all they could do was wait and looked around to see who she wanted to talk to. Arthur and Molly (who'd arrived shortly after Lee) were together and talking to Remus. The Weasley twins, Lee, Dean, and Luna were huddled together - an usual combination she thought. Harry and Ginny were sitting together talking to Tonks, who was joking with them and making funny faces and looking at her reflection in Ginny's glasses.

Perhaps Padma would be a good person to talk to; she looked for the Ravenclaw since she'd spent a lot of time with her in the library over the years.

— — —

Just before dinner, Hermione and the few others who were outside and watching suddenly saw a small bean bag landed on the road where the fight was to happen. She looked around worriedly and spotted the Weasley twins, one on a balcony about half way up the front of the castle and the other on top of the Astronomy Tower. The one on the Tower cast a spell and she saw another bean bag come hurling down, though it landed well short.

Each twin jumped on their broom and flew back towards the camp around Hagrid's hut.

She was dying to ask what they were doing, but decided it might be best for her sanity if she didn't. She rested even easier when the twins landed near Harry and talked to him. As long as Harry knew, she wouldn't worry - too much.

— — —

By the time they all went to bed that evening, Harry was telling everyone, "Be ready for tomorrow, or the day after at the latest."

Hermione didn't sleep well and she noticed that Harry and Ginny seemed to toss and turn also.

* * *

**[Thu - Sep 25]**

Voldemort finished a very pleasant lunch in Berlin, using the time to speak to one of the former followers of Grindelwald. The man had promised to find some young men who wanted to use their wands for the advancement of wizards. He'd send them along in a week or so. In addition, Voldemort had gained promises from nearly twenty people who'd finished Durmstrang over the last ten years. They promised to set a few affairs in order and then come to London early next week. In the end, he was very pleased with the outcome of his trip.

Being careful in his Apparation to avoid raising too many alarms, he returned to London, then to the front garden of the Malfoys since he was keyed into the wards. His good feelings from the trip vanished instantly to be replaced with rage.

While some stones were still standing, they were short piles, the rest having been knocked over as other supports had fallen. The stones were either scorched blackish or whitish from being baked in extremely hot fire. He knew what could do this, having done it himself in the past: Fiendfyre. That the other side had done this against him would have been unfathomable if he wasn't looking at it with his own eyes.

He started to walk forward and kicked something unexpected. Looking down, he saw the rotting face of what must have been Bellatrix. A piece of parchment was under foot. He almost torched the note in spite, but managed to stop himself and picked it up instead.

_Tom,_

_Just wanted you to know that I dropped by to have a chat but you weren't here. I'll leave this note instead._

_Have you ever felt fear, Tom, real fear? I know you have because you've tried so very hard to stay alive. However, I have news for you. That's going to be a lot harder now. I don't know if you knew, but Lucius lost your diary and I destroyed it five years ago. Regulas Black destroyed the Slytherin locket many years ago. I'm now on my way to get a very special cup out of Bella's vault in Gringotts; I hear it has a badger on the side of it. So by my research, you should be mortal. Do you feel fear?_

_Sorry about killing the snake, but it got in the way. I'd feel bad, but I know you wouldn't give a thought before killing my pet._

_Don't worry about our not meeting now, I'll find you later._

_Harry_

_p.s. I feel safer, how about you?_

The parchment was flaming before he knew what had happened. He didn't even remember casting the spell, but his wand was in hand and pointing at it. He dropped it and watched it finish burning in anger.

Just because it was the best thing he could do, for her and for himself not to lose face in front of the others, he cast a Vanishing spell on what was left of Bella's head, on what had not been nibbled on by various creatures … probably the stupid peacocks Malfoy insisted on keeping, he thought.

To see if there were any other clues, he hurried forward and looked at the burnt shell of a house. Besides the stonework, there were bits of misshapened metal, but nothing was really identifiable. That made him wonder if Nagini was really in the house or not, but he couldn't imagine why she wouldn't have been.

«Nagini!» he hissed, several times even, but there was no answer and no movement. He had never wanted to kill Potter more than he did now. Yet, there was one thing he had to do.

He Apparated to a cave on the coast and found the Inferi out of the water, their trigger activated. He checked the bowl in the middle of the underground lake and found it empty.

Going to the Gaunt house, he found the ring missing and burnt the place down in his rage.

He already knew about Malfoy losing the diary and he'd tortured the man for that. Potter accounted for all the rest except for Ravenclaw's treasure. Could that be the last one?

He started to Apparate to Hogwarts, or though it felt beneath him to use the Floo network to go directly to Snape's office, but he stopped himself - barely. Could Potter be there waiting for him? Could he risk waiting to go check on his last Horcrux?

After a moment he decided he needed a follower to call the rest to him, since he'd never mark his body. He knew were Nott lived and Apparated to the gates of the man's property.

— — —

Harry and Mad-Eye had discussed what the most likely scenarios were and why until they were both tired of the topic, so now they just waited. Harry, like the rest, just sat around making conversation that didn't mean anything. They all felt tense too.

Yesterday was easier even if they'd done the same because no one really expected Riddle to come then. But today was the day Narcissa had said he would return, though she hadn't known when.

Narcissa and Draco were now out of the country, supposedly with some extended cousins in France. He was sure that Draco was happy about that because Tonks had relayed that Draco had been tasked to keep the snake fed, and by inference, keep it alive while Riddle was away. If Draco was available when Riddle returned, Harry had no doubt Draco's death would be painful and slow coming. He'd never liked Draco Malfoy, but felt that not even Draco deserved that sort of treatment.

Harry turned to Ginny to ask her a question when Dobby popped in. "Master, Snake Man and others are appearing at the gates."

"Thank you, Dobby. Please go tell Professor McGonagall." He stood and in only a slightly raised voice said to those around him. "It's time. As you go outside, cast the Disillusionment charm on yourself or on someone else who can't, and then go to your assigned place as quietly as possible. It all starts in five to ten minutes."

He immediately cast a communication Patronus and sent it to Firenze with the simple message of "It's time for battle."

As he turned, Ginny grabbed him and kissed him hard, though briefly. "You better come out of this alive, Potter; I've got long term plans for you."

He grinned at her though she was deadly serious. "The same applies to you and don't forget about the Portkey McGonagall gave you if it gets too bad."

"Don't forget yours either, Potter. Let's go."

The warning bell that McGonagall had put in place started to ring for a three count and then stopped - making the situation all the more real.

As the couple exited the doorway, like everyone else, they applied their Disillusionment charm and headed to their assigned place with an arm in front so they could know to stop in case they couldn't see another person.

They crouched down behind their rock barrier that was disguised as a small grassy hill and waited.

Harry could see a good distance down the path towards the gates, but couldn't see all the way due to bends in the road. The gates weren't heavily warded, simply locked like normal. It'd probably take Riddle two spells to open them … or maybe one if he just blasted them.

"McGonagall and Neville are ready," Ginny whispered, causing him to look that way and see a few heads there and even they were sinking and disappearing.

Looking to the left, he was glad he couldn't see the Centaurs, but hoped they were there and would give their promised aid. He and Mad-Eye both thought they could win without that help, but it would be harder.

"I see a group coming," Ginny whispered again. "Uh, they have trolls. We didn't account for that."

"I only see two," he whispered. "Shush now." She squeezed his arm gently for an answer.

He gripped his wand tightly and alternated between watching the approaching group and looking at the forest. The group was coming closer with the trolls leading, being driven by McNair, who could apparently speak Trollish, or something the trolls could understand at any rate. The forty or so Death Eaters all in masks were more of a concern though.

It took a moment because of the group and the distance, but Harry finally saw Voldemort. His nemesis was in the middle of the pack. It figured, he thought, but it also worked out better than it might first appear.

So far, the trap was holding. The trolls were at the edge of where Harry group was, or about twenty meters to his left. There was another twenty meters of his team to the right. So when Riddle's group was where Harry wanted them, Riddle were be almost in front of him.

Any time now, he thought. Come on, come on, he mentally urged his allies. So suddenly he was surprised though he was waiting for it, a thick flock of arrows was in the sky and heading towards and aimed at the invaders' backs. Don't turn around, he urged the Death Eaters silently.

A second wave of arrows left the forest as the first way was only half way. Still, Harry didn't see any Centaurs, making him wonder how they did that, but had to assume they had their own kind of magic. The third and final wave left the forest just as the first wave was starting to hit.

This was also the most dangerous time for his group, or so Mad-Eye felt. To Harry, it was the second most dangerous time, unless an arrow happened to take Tom down, which according to the Prophecy that wouldn't happen - or did his getting the Centaurs to agree count as "by his hand"?

There was no time to ponder as the first wave of arrows crashed into the invaders. As the Centaurs had predicted and demonstrated (with one arrow), the arrows came down on the Death Eaters only as they landed within the confines of the road.

Many screams could be heard and nearly a quarter of the Death Eaters fell to their knees or flat on the ground. Nearly as many had an arrow in an arm or somewhere not vital. Fortunately, that was only the first wave.

Riddle was untouched and had a shield up as the second wave landed a few seconds later, with similar results. "Create a shield, you fools!" he shouted. A few managed by the time the third wave landed a few seconds later.

The damage was done though. Only about ten or so men plus Riddle had miraculously escaped any injury. Another ten or so was injured and were limited in what they could do. The rest were down and of not much of a concern.

McNair was one of the fallen and without him telling them to stay, the Trolls continued lumbering forward towards the animated knight armor that was coming out of the courtyard.

"Go away!" the magnified voice of Neville Longbottom came from the castle on the balcony about halfway up the front. "Your father was a Muggle and your mother smelt of love potions!" He paused, then in a lower voice could be heard saying, "Did I say that right? Oh never mind.

"Tom Riddle, spare your men by telling them to go, but your life is forfeit today for crimes against our people."

Riddle put his wand to his throat and yelled back for all to hear, "Send Harry Potter to me and I'll spare all the students, except maybe you for threatening me."

Harry wanted very badly to curse the monster now, but waited per the plan. They needed Riddle to be more distracted because he was an even better fighter than Bella was.

Suddenly, it seemed like a hundred of little somethings had been throw (actually banished) towards the invaders and then the spells from the castle defenders started.

"Shields!" Riddle called to his group again, shields that were above them, while heads of all the defenders around Harry were at the height of Riddles feet. So Harry would be shooting up under the shields.

All the little "things" fell around the invaders, some hitting their shields and sliding off. The Death Eaters laughed. "They send dolls to us?" one asked.

The dolls started to say in sing-song like voices all at once.

"Muggles are better than you."

"Riddle is not a pureblood."

"You walk like lady and cry like a little girl."

"Does your mother know what you do with that mask at night?"

"The Nargles say you're a meanie."

"You're a dancing queen."

"You should be true to your school."

"Does your wand give you good vibrations?"

"All you need is love."

"Isn't this a long and winding road?"

"You're on the highway to hell."

"This is the stairway to heaven."

"Yesterday, it seems so very far way."

And many more…

Harry knew the twins were going to hurl insults at the Death Eaters, but this?! Dean Thomas must have been the inspiration for many of those.

He was laughing too hard and having to hold it in when the dolls started talking and that was a problem because he was supposes to cast the first spell to start their part of the fight. Fortunately, his couple of seconds of delay didn't matter because the invaders couldn't decide whether to curse the insulting dolls or return fire, which was a problem because they were still having to maintain their shields from the spells raining down from Neville's group.

Taking a deep breath, Harry cast a silent Piercing hex at Voldemort; unfortunately, it was just as Riddle moved, so the hex only grazed him across the shoulder, but at least it was his wand arm.

Riddle let go of his shield and moved forward, but he was the only one who did and his followers paid the price for standing still, nearly all of the remaining going down as the defenders on both side of the road cast their spells, in addition to the spells still raining down on them from the castle.

"Harry Potter!" Voldemort called.

Harry felt himself move and cried out, "He's summoning me," even as he tried to grip the barrier in front of him and was failing.

Ginny threw herself at him, practically landing on his back but managing to negate the pull so Harry stayed where he was. That was good until the Dark Lord called out, "Ginny Weasley!"

Harry's greatest fear of her being used against him happened as Ginny was ripped away from him before she could grab him more tightly or he could grab her. He would have cursed Riddle, but he was afraid of hitting Ginny, and the other defenders seemed to think the same as no other spells were cast.

Riddle appeared to have summoned her wand silently just before she landed, because her wand was seen in the air flying towards him. Her form also become partially visible.

From the second she was summoned and left him, Harry jumped up on top of the barrier in front of him so he could move onto the road. Just as he looked where to jump next, he saw the partially visible Ginny land in front of Riddle, stumble for a step, then straighten and take one more large step forward as Riddle was bringing his wand back towards her.

In a move any footballer would have been proud of, just before Riddle's wand was pointing at her, Ginny's foot connected with his crotch, causing him to bend over and his wand was forgotten momentarily.

She then launched an upper-cut that knocked him backwards as she screamed, "I hate you!" Harry was sure that one-two had been taught to her by one of her brothers and he was going to thank them for that. The second blow knocked Riddle back enough that Ginny was no longer in the path of his spells.

Later, Harry wouldn't be able to say why he did it, but he cast the signature spell of the Appleby Arrows, ending with a downward slash. That put a silver arrow in Riddle's left eye, in his chest just above where he heart should have been, and the last into his stomach. That knocked Riddle back another step where he fell on his back and didn't move.

Harry now jumped to the edge of the road, cancelled his Disillusionment charm, and then ran towards Ginny, summoning her wand as he ran. He caught the wand and then grabbed her in a fierce hug, spinning them around. They looked at each, laughed to relieve tension they were feeling, looked at each other again, then he bent his neck and kissed her hard as she grabbed his head and neck.

If Voldemort being killed and the couple kissing on the field of battle wasn't shock enough, the two suddenly disappeared.

— — —

Hermione watched a fully visible Harry and mostly visible Ginny disappear and stood there for a three count gaping before her brain re-engaged itself. "Tell me they weren't kidnapped," she asked no one in particular.

Mad-Eye Moody was nearby and heard her. "Probably not; I saw him activate a Portkey. A bit stupid on the timing, but it might be smart too. There's going to be a lot of people here soon." He amplified his voice. "This is Moody. Cancel the Disillusionment charms now. Check for injuries on those around you first then check on those on the road and be careful, some are probably still alive."

Hermione complied with the orders. Those around her were good, so she climbed over the barrier and then climbed up the short embankment to the road. She knew the basic diagnostic charm, being around Harry and all of his visits to the infirmary had taught her that; plus it was just a good charm to know.

She cast it on a few of the Death Eaters and received nothing back. Not really sure how the Wizarding World handled things like this, she followed the Muggle World custom and conjured a white sheet over the upper half of the bodies.

A noise to her left caused her to look in time to see some remaining animated armor and a few gargoyles take down the last Troll, which she'd forgotten about.

"I need a healer over here right now," came from the other direction. There Arthur Weasley was cradling one of the bodies on the road to his body. "Healer!"

"In a minute," Hannah Abbot shouted. "We're treating one of ours."

"My son is dying!" Arthur shouted back.

Hermione rushed over as did Remus Lupin. To their shock they saw Percy Weasley bleeding heavily from his stomach. Hermione stepped forward and grabbed some of the boy's robes and pressed them against the place he was bleeding from.

"What's he doing here?" Lupin asked.

"I don't know," Arthur managed in a tearful voice. "He's not a Death Eater and he promised he'd never be one. He shouldn't be here."

Running feet sounded finally with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot coming over. "Sorry, but Luna was hit with a stray spell. What do we have?"

When Arthur didn't seem able to answer, Hermione said, "He's bleeding out for sure, maybe more."

"All right, I have a little left from the last batch." Susan held it towards Percy's lips and they managed to get a little down him. "We really need Madam Pomfrey to get him stable, but we'll try this."

"I'll send for her," Lupin said and cast a communication spell while Hannah poured more water into the cup to "brew".

"Mr Weasley, do you know anything spell to stop the bleeding? Something, anything?" Hermione begged him, not wanting the man to suffer the grief of losing a child.

"Not for anything this severe," he answered after a moment. "Molly might, but I don't want her to see this either."

Hermione could tell he wasn't thinking well, though she understood the man's desires.

By the time Susan was ready to administer the next batch, more running feet were heard and everyone felt relief to see that it was the Medi-witch.

Hermione explained what was going on and then stepped back, knowing the father wouldn't let his son go. She saw Lupin give her a helpless look, which was how she felt.

Looking around, she saw more conjured sheets. In fact, almost ever body on the road had one draped over it. Tonks was putting magical handcuffs on one of the others. Hermione also saw a small group coming up the road from the gates and tensed.

"Stand down, lass," Moody told her. "They were supposed to hitting them from the rear if required and preventing escape.

"They should have been here a lot sooner," she told him sarcastically, still keyed up from the fight. "At least they weren't needed." She now recognized Kingsley Shacklebolt leading the group. Thinking back, she remembered Harry telling her it'd be those Aurors who were still in the Ministry undercover.

"Nay, they were on time but guarding the gates. They'd have been slaughtered if they'd come down the road sooner," Moody informed her.

"Oh, sorry," she said contritely, showing she didn't know tactics all that well. This was why Harry was the leader, he normally did the right thing even if he wasn't trained for this.

"It's all right, lass," Moody told her, "as long as you keep that comment to yourself."

"I will."

"Hermione, what's going on?" Ron asked as he walked up with a bandage around his arm.

"What happened to you?" she asked back. "Is it bad?"

"Naw, I mostly got out of the way. It came from the castle, so friendly fire Tonks called it." Ron paused. "Wait, is that Percy that Dad's holding? What's he doing here?"

"It is," she replied, "and I don't know."

"Where's Harry? And Ginny too?" he asked a little fearfully as he looked around. "I fell down after Harry killed Riddle."

"I don't know," she said again. "They left almost immediately after Riddle went down." She decided she wouldn't ask the details of what they were doing, she could guess; but they were definitely going to hear her opinion on how they should have stayed and not worried them all.

* * *

(A/N: I'll try not to take too long on the epilogue.)


	13. Chapter 13Epilogue

(**A/N:** Several people pointed out that the battle seemed anti-climactic (which was by design) … and a few also rightly added this was how it should have been. My thought was "proper planning prevents poor performance" and they've done a good job of planning over the entire hunt. A big problem for Riddle is that he thinks so highly of himself that he underestimates others. So while knowing he could be walking into a trap, he never thought it could take him down. Harry just showed him, with help from Moody and others, that enough people can take anyone down … something the Wizarding Society should have done years ago but were afraid.

For those who haven't figured it out, Harry's power was a vivacious flirty redhead who insisted he plan - Riddle didn't have one of those. :)

Here's the last of the story; I hope you enjoy it. I believe I've tied up all the loose ends.)

* * *

**-Epilogue-**

**[Shortly after the battle]**

Ginny flopped back on the bed while Harry turned over and laid on his side, head propped on one elbow, and watched her. Like him, she was covered by the sheet only from the waist down and he was enjoying every second of watching her bare chest go up and down as she worked to catch her breath.

"Considering how good that felt, can you imagine how good sex will be when we get there?" she asked him breathily.

Harry was catching his breath too and took a moment before saying, "It will be totally brilliant with you."

"You just like looking at my-Yi!" she shrieked the last sound as she'd started turning towards him. She also grabbed at the sheet to yank it up to cover herself better.

When she yelled, Harry also heard a heavy thump behind him causing him to roll to his side of the bed and lunge for his wand on the nightstand, only to freeze as his hand touched it and he saw the tall thin form in a light-sucking black cloak who also had a tall scythe next to him standing all on its own. If his heart hadn't been racing before, it was going double time now.

Harry felt Ginny move on the bed and then press against him, hiding. He understood. A quick check showed the sheets weren't damp with more than sweat, so at least he hadn't pissed himself and Ginny hadn't either.

"You have finished your task and I thank you for clearing out one partial soul from my collection," _Death _spoke in its raspy and eerie voice. "I give you a choice but you must answer now. Give up my items or go hunting for me. If you keep them, you must return the rest of at least one partial soul every year. If you do not, I will take them back."

Now that Harry thought he could think straight again, or mostly straight, he considered the offer. In many ways, he didn't really care about keeping them and honestly the wand could make life dangerous if anyone ever found out what it really was. On the other hand, the rush of the fight made it tempting - very tempting. Yet, it was not fully his choice, or he didn't feel it should be.

He turned his head and looked back as best he could considering how close she was. "I don't have to, but it is tempting. What do you think?"

She moved slightly to make it easier for them to see each other. "Maybe for a little while if the conditions were right," she acquiesced. "One a year shouldn't be too hard if we knew who we were after."

"Right." Turned back to Death, Harry said, "Will you provide us with a list of names so we can call them with the Stone?"

Death looked at him for a moment before he said, "Yes, that is acceptable."

"We're still kind of young and therefore in school. Can we have an extra year before we start?" Harry requested.

"No," Death answered, "but the year will go from Yule to Yule, as I believe you call it."

Harry looked at Ginny and asked, "Christmas?"

"No, Midwinter's Eve, the shortest day of the year for us. I understand the significance." Ginny paused. "That could work as we could go hunting next summer and since he'll give us a list, we can find an easy one for the first year. After that, we'll be out of school; although, I'd hoped to play Quidditch for the Harpies."

"I don't see why you couldn't," Harry replied. "We can hunt in the off-season and I haven't planned anything special, so I can work a job around that."

"At least for a while; we can't do this forever," she told him with a look that said he better not disagree with her.

"I guess you have a point and we could do more than one a year," he suggested.

"We could." She rubbed her hand on his bare chest lovingly.

He looked down at her left hand and smiled before he looked back up. "If we can delay the start of the agreement until this coming Yule, the year runs from Yule to Yule, we only have to do one per year but can do more, and you give us a list of identifying names, we'll do it."

Death grabbed his scythe and picked it up only to tap it on the floor again, causing a sheet of parchment to fall as if out of the blade. "Deal, do not disappoint me." Then _He_ was suddenly gone.

Both teens flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "I know he's not the Devil, but I feel like I just completed the saying about 'Making a deal with the Devil'."

"I know what you mean," she answered.

"So, since our lives might be short, how about sex now?" he asked.

Ginny laughed. "Now you start acting like a teen-aged boy. Sorry, you're restricted to what we've been doing until you do that task you mentioned before we were interrupted."

"Hmm, that's not so bad," he told her as he tried to turn but found he couldn't. "Well, if we can get the sheets untangled first."

She giggled and then laughed. "How about we go downstairs and get something to eat then come back up here and resume our fun?"

"Sounds good, after I do one other thing."

As soon as both had their night gowns on, he called, "Kreacher, come!"

"Master called?" the elf said neutrally.

"Go tell Hermione not to come back here until after we find her tomorrow; she can use the trunk and tent or stay in the school until then. Also tell her that we'll be returning to Hogwarts this year and she should ask about doing the same. Go," he waved the elf away.

Leaning down, he picked the parchment off the floor and glanced over it, not recognizing a single name. He laid it on the dresser and then took off after his girl.

— — —

Hermione watched Kreacher pop away after he'd delivered the message from Harry. All she could do was blink for a moment. Then she realized Harry had neatly prevented her from giving him a piece of her mind about that he'd done today by leaving immediately after the battle. Well, now he was going to hear about a second topic as well: being kicked out of the house for the evening while they did who knew what. At least she knew the two were safe.

In a huff, she turned and went in search for the Headmistress, even if it was only temporary. She did acknowledge he had a point about school. With some work, they should be able to catch up as they'd only missed about four weeks of school by the time classes would start again on Monday. It would be easier since they'd been learning on their own instead of lazing about.

* * *

True to their word, Harry and Ginny left the house the next day. While they didn't expect a spell fight, they knew they had to be ready to defend their actions verbally - probably several times. He also planned to tell Charlie 'thank you' and get him a nice Christmas present since he'd been the one to teach Ginny how to protect herself from aggressive boys.

Landing outside Aunt Muriel's house, they walked up and knocked on the front door.

"Don't worry," she whispered as she knocked. "It may be loud at first but it will all work out."

Her mother answered and shrieked. "Ginny!" After hugging her fiercely, she hugged Harry. Stepping back, she assumed a displeased look. "Why did you run off after the battle? I wanted to make sure you were all right. Are you?"

"Yes, Mum, we're fine, I promise," Ginny assured her. "Can we talk to you and Dad?"

"Come in and go to the parlor. I'll bring your father." She headed off to find her husband.

In the parlor, they found her great aunt. "Aunt Muriel," they both said.

"Ginny darling, and Harry. Have a seat on the settee. What brings you here today?" the auntie asked so casually the teens wondered if she'd heard about yesterday.

"We need to talk to Mum and Dad," Ginny replied and Harry was happy to let her do that.

"By how close you two are sitting," the older woman smiled knowingly, "I'd say you have an announcement, beyond what you accomplished yesterday. Jolly good job, by the way, removing that blight from our land. The _Daily Prophet_ sung your praises, both of you."

They were saved from their slight embarrassment and from answering by the entrance of Ginny's parents.

"There you are," her father told her and came over to give her a hug and patted Harry on the shoulder. "I believe I heard Muriel saying 'good job' and I have to agree, although," he paused for a moment, "it came with a difficult price. Nevertheless, a smaller price than if the war had carried on for months."

The teens looked at each other for a moment. "What price, Dad?"

"Your brother, Percy. He was," Arthur paused for a moment. "He was one of the attackers."

"What?!" the teens cried together while Molly looked down at the floor, clearly upset.

Arthur held up a hand. "I found him on the road, still alive but gravely injured. Fortunately, we found help for him in time. He will not leave the hospital for a week, but he will live."

"But what was he doing there?" Ginny asked aghast. "He's been a royal git for the last couple of years, but I wouldn't have thought he'd have been a Death Eater."

"We've only talked for a couple of minutes and he's under house arrest, but he swears he was forced to come - put under the Imperious since the Ministry fell." Arthur gave a forced smile. "You'll be happy to know that he didn't have the Dark Mark like the others."

Arthur looked at Harry. "You'll need to be careful for a time. There were a few others Imperioused like Percy and they didn't survive. I suppose if Dumbledore were here he'd say this is why he always tried to stun all of the attackers. However, I'm of mixed thoughts about it because I'm fairly certain Moody's more aggressive style saved many lives, yet I understand the grief since I almost shared in it. War is - never a good thing."

"I'm sorry a few innocents were harmed," Harry said, "but as you say, many more innocents would have been harmed if the war had dragged on. I'll grieve with them, but I don't think I can do anything about it."

"You can't," Arthur agreed. "I just wanted to be sure you knew. Also, there were a few injuries to our side, generally from spells cast from the castle that went wide of the road, but all were treated and I think will recover fully or very close to it. Ron was one but he's already back to normal."

"That's good to hear," Harry said and Ginny agreed and looked at him before tilting her head towards her parents.

Harry squeezed her hand gently and smiled at her. "Mr Weasley, I told you before that I care for your daughter greatly and that I'd protect her. Now that the war is over, I'd like to extend that and ask for your blessing to marry her. I love her dearly as she loves me and we plan to be together in marriage."

"Thought so," Muriel said softly, but her niece and Arthur were staring at the teens. "Don't just sit there, tell them yes; you know you're going to anyway."

"Auntie!" Molly objected and scowled at the woman, who ignored the look easily.

Arthur sighed. "I can't say that this is unexpected, but the timing is. Why?"

"Sir, we've each found that the day is better when the other is in it," Harry answered, leaving out the part about the night being better too. "Being with each other so much the past months has shown us that we're compatible and it works so well we want to continue it."

"I don't see why not," Arthur said with a bit of resignation. "It'll be nearly two years before Ginny finishes school, so that's a reasonable engagement length." Molly nodded to the last part.

"About that," Ginny said, "I was thinking about having the wedding maybe the day after Boxing Day - of this year."

"What?!" Molly objected. "Certainly not! What will people think?!"

"That we love each other," Ginny returned, slightly defiant.

"Absolutely not!" her mother said forcefully and glared at her daughter.

"I guess it's Plan B, Harry," Ginny told him with a knowing look.

"I told you it was always going to be Plan B," he retorted with his own knowing look.

"What fun," Aunt Muriel said as Molly sputtered. "What is Plan B?"

"We get a couple of good friends and go get married now," Ginny told her great aunt with a grin. Her great aunt could be a bit stuffy, but she could also be fun - like now, when it was against a common target.

"No, I should say not, young lady," her mother protested. "Besides, you're not even seventeen, so the Ministry wouldn't perform the ceremony even if you begged them." She gave them a look as if that closed the matter.

"Except in the Muggle world," Harry stated calmly. "We can get married there now since we're both at least sixteen and British citizens. Then we can do the magical ceremony next year, but we'll still be married now."

"Arthur, do something!" his wife demanded as she shook his arm as if to send him into motion.

The man rubbed his face for a moment and quietly said, "Everyone said the twins would the hardest to raise, but I knew otherwise when you were born." He looked at his daughter then at Harry. "You're dead set on this?"

"Yes, Dad," Ginny said gently. "We're sure of it."

"I am too," Harry said with a nod. "Ginny was a gift from the gods these last months in helping me to win the war. She was also my inspiration for fighting the war and not walking away. She understood that I needed to do this and she let me; but wanting to be sure I survived, she fought with me. I can't say how much she means to me; she's priceless. I want what I have with her to go on and never end." He looked at Ginny and smiled. "She's one of a kind and I love her."

"Well, you can't use the tent like Bill did in late December," Muriel said. "You can have your wedding here."

"Auntie!" Molly objected.

"Hush you," she waved her niece's objection away before turning back to the teens. "Your father agreed and I heard him. Go tell your friends, I'll take care of things here until you can return later for planning the wedding."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Ginny squealed and hurried over to hug her great aunt. Harry followed and gave the old woman a much gentler hug.

"What's this?" Muriel asked and grabbed Ginny's left hand. "Ooh, very nice ring, Harry. See, Molly, Arthur, the boy has it well in hand … ha-ha, in hand."

Neither laughed at the joke as Molly continued to look perturbed and Arthur looked resigned.

As soon as decorum allowed, Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and let him outside so they could Apparate to their next stop. "I told you Aunt Muriel could be helpful."

"Yeah, but you weren't sure either," he returned teasingly.

They Apparated to a spot near where they'd burned out the spiders. Surprising to him, it was still smoldering in a few places.

They walked towards the school until they reached his tent. Looking inside, they saw no one was there and Hermione's things were gone. Stepping out, he cast the spell to cause it to fold itself up and called for Kreacher to take it home.

"Time for the next battle," Harry said and guided her towards the school's front door.

"Probably two," Ginny told him easily, "though I think one won't be difficult."

"I agree," he said with resignation but didn't slow down or lose his resolve.

It was lunchtime when they entered the school, so they found everyone in the Great Hall. The cheering started as soon as they entered; they kept walking towards the head table. A number of people reached out to shake hands or to pat them on the back. The two teens smiled and returned the congratulations to move as quickly as they could.

When they reached the head table, a smiling McGonagall - the temporary Headmistress - rose and held her hands up, causing everyone to quiet. "I know that many helped in the defense here, but I wanted to say that we all appreciate the time you've invested to secure the demise of … Tom Riddle, including facing him directly at the end. Thank you." She started clapping and the rest followed her lead.

It took nearly a minute for it to quiet down, but eventually Harry was able to say, "Thank you. It was a difficult task, but one that was made easier by many helpers including many of you. We couldn't have done it without you." People started clapping again.

After a moment, Harry turned to the Headmistress. "Can we have a moment of your time please?"

"Of course, follow me," McGonagall led them out a side door.

Harry glanced and saw that Hermione was glaring at him, while Ron was waving. Harry waved back and followed the Professor. He and Ginny looked around while they walked and enjoyed being back. "Is it returning to normal?" he asked.

"It is, or mostly so," McGonagall answered. "We're going to try to restart classes on Monday." She gave them a knowing look but didn't say anything else. Soon, they were at the Headmaster's office; the gargoyle leapt aside so they could continue.

In her new office, McGonagall sat down and asked pleasantly, "I am truly appreciative of what you two and Ms Granger have done and I should like a full report in the near future, but what did you want to see me about today?"

Harry thought that was a bit presumptive of her to ask for a full report, but he supposed he could understand her desire. "Professor, this school year started a little less than a month ago, so we would like to be able to start the year now." He was not surprised by her pleased look. "We have been studying this year's material for the last few months, so I don't think we'll be behind, or at least not generally so."

McGonagall continued to look pleased. "I don't believe that will be a problem at all, Mr Potter and Ms Weasley."

"And," Harry continued quickly, "we'd like to be day students. We'd like to take meals here, but we'd sleep at my house."

McGonagall's smile faded and she pursed her lips in thought for a moment. "That's most unusual. Why?"

"Because we don't believe you'd let us share quarters here," Ginny said.

Harry was surprised by her bluntness despite it being the truth.

"I'm afraid not," McGonagall agreed, "as it would set a bad precedence."

"Our time here," Ginny continued just as bluntly, "has not been easy and we've found that living together makes life for both of us … easier."

"If it helps," Harry added hastily, "we do plan to be married before the start of the spring term."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows and sat back in her seat. "My apologies for my shock, but this seems very sudden."

Ginny held up her left hand and smiled broadly.

McGonagall nodded and a hint of her smile returned. "Very lovely, my dear, and congratulations to both of you." She shook her head after a moment. "I'd like to accommodate you for this term, but I'm afraid I can't. Perhaps being day students would be for the best. However, I could provide quarters for you next term after you are married officially."

She looked curious. "Ms Weasley, I would think your parents would be against this. I'm curious, how did you convince them to agree to your plan?"

Ginny grinned broadly. "My Aunt Muriel helped a lot, but they also don't know about our living arrangements just yet. Our engagement was a bit of a shock, but they did agree to let us get married."

"Well, yes, I can understand the shock," McGonagall told them before she rose and walked over to a filing cabinet.

"Professor?" Ginny spoke up. "One more thing, I'd like to enroll as a seventh year." As the woman whirled around and looked shocked again, Ginny added, "I have studied ahead and believe I know all of the first term for my sixth year classes, I'd like to finish Hogwarts this year even if I take a little lower grade on my NEWTs."

"But Ms Weasley!" McGonagall objected.

"I'm sorry that offends the educator in you, but I want to be done with school this year," Ginny told her.

"I'll also be paying for her tuition," Harry said. "I don't see a need to burden Mr Weasley with that since he's been without a job and I do have the money."

McGonagall looked between the pair of them for a moment before finally sighing and turning around to a cabinet to finish her errand there. A moment later, she handed a parchment to Harry. "Your, and I suppose Ms Weasley's, list for school supplies for those entering their seventh year. Because of the turmoil, Quidditch teams haven't been picked yet, so you may try out for them. I was going to let the team pick their own captains."

Harry and Ginny each brightened. "Thank you, Professor."

"Run along," McGonagall told them, "and return Monday morning. We'll have your timetables for you then and we'll also work out any other details required. In the meantime, I'm sure your friends will want to talk to you."

"Thank you!" "Yes, thank you, bye!"

"See," Ginny whispered when they were out the door, "it wasn't so bad."

Harry snorted, "Look down the stairs." All of their friends were waiting in the corridor at the bottom of the stairs to the Headmaster's office.

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione said loudly with hands on her hips for a moment before she abandoned her glare and then hurried over the last few steps and hugged him tightly for a moment before turning to Ginny and giving her a hug too.

"Good job," Neville told them with a grin, echoed by others.

Hermione glared at them again. "How could you leave so quickly yesterday? We were so worried about you."

Harry put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hermione, we were fine physically; but emotionally it was a different matter. I swear I thought I was going to lose Ginny. So after it turned out that we weren't hurt, we needed some time to deal with what had happened and we knew we weren't going to get the privacy to deal with the close call here. We had to leave."

"Then why couldn't I come there to help you?" Hermione demanded. "I've been with you every step of the way."

Harry looked at Ginny and gave her a pleading look.

"Hermione," Ginny said softly, "you have been there and we couldn't have removed Riddle without you, but we needed that time for us. I'm sorry, but I can't explain it in a way that will make sense to you because you haven't faced him like we have - up close and very personal. You know what we've gone through and we needed time to deal with the suffering again and the fact that he's gone and will never bother us again."

Harry was really proud of her. All of that was completely true and worded in a way Hermione would probably understand yet didn't imply _everything_ that happened between them after the battle. Then there was the meeting with Death.

As everyone else was looking between the trio and fidgeting uncomfortably because of the conversation, Luna walked up and grabbed Ginny's hand. "Very lovely. Are you getting married sooner or later?"

"Sooner, during the Christmas holidays," Ginny beamed, breaking the shock of the others from Luna's question.

"What?!" Ron barked. "Do Mum and Dad know?"

"Yes," Harry answered with a grin of his own. "We visited this morning and I asked for permission then."

Neville slapped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations, mate. You're very lucky to have her."

"I know." Harry grinned with Neville while Ron shook his head. The girls looked at Ginny's ring for a few minutes. Eventually, the group ambled outside and enjoyed the afternoon together.

Hermione was invited to return to her room at #12, but she elected to go see her parents for the weekend before she returned to school on Monday for her last year too.

* * *

Harry stood at the front of the enlarged room, Ron was next to him and Neville was on the other side of Ron. The room looked especially nice and he thought all the "girls" (from Ginny to Great-Aunt Muriel) had done a brilliant job given that it was winter outside so everything was indoors.

There were a few more people here than he'd wanted, including the Minister of Magic whom Arthur had insisted as his one special guest. Fortunately, it was now Kingsley Shacklebolt and he was being respectful of their privacy. The rest of the crowd was made of family and close friends only, thankfully.

"Steady, Harry," whispered Ron.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm still good, Ron," he whispered back as the music started and Luna walked up the aisle between the chairs; Hermione followed. He had to admit that they looked very nice today.

Then Ginny and her father appeared at the back and she took his breath away. He'd agree with her that white wasn't her best color, but it looked good on her today and the cut showed that she definitely was a woman. Her cascading bright red hair just added to her beauty.

When the two arrived in front of him, he heard her hiss, "Potter!" That broke him out of his stupor from staring. Arthur chuckled before he leaned down and whispered to his daughter, who gave him a mild glare before smiling at Harry.

Arthur took a step forward and whispered to Harry. "It's not too late if you want to change your mind."

Now Harry understand Ginny's look from a moment ago, assuming she'd been told the same thing. "I'll happily take her," he whispered back.

With a pat and squeeze on his shoulder, Arthur said, "Welcome to the family, son," before he put Ginny's hand in his and then sat down.

Harry barely remembered the rest of his marriage ceremony, though the reception had been a blast with lots of laughter. Their wedding night was very memorable.

* * *

Harry watched Ginny rip the envelope open while he merely held his own, since he was in no hurry. Now was the time to find out if Ginny's gamble and hard work had paid off. She squealed and threw her arms around him.

"So how did you do on your NEWTs?" He looked at the letter she'd received as she held it in front of them.

"I got an Outstanding in Defense, Transfiguration, and Charms, plus Acceptable in Runes and Magical Creatures," she told him excitedly. "I have to send a letter to Mum and Dad, then we can go. How are your scores?"

"As expected, Outstandings and Exceeds Expectations," he replied and shrugged before handing her the letter to look at.

Harry finished gathering their things while she wrote her quick letter. "When do you expect to hear from the Harpies?"

"In about six weeks, assuming they're interested in me," Ginny replied as she attached the letter to Hedwig, who hooted happily and then took off. "Try outs should be soon after that, so we have six weeks for this adventure before we have to be back."

"I don't think that will be a problem, this first one should be easy with a single split and not many traps, assuming nothing has changed over the years," he told her as she joined him.

"I do hope your assumption is true," she quipped and grabbed her small bag.

Harry pulled out their Portkey and when she was touching it he activated it and they were in southern Romania a moment later. It took a few minutes to clear Customs then they were on their way.

— — —

A week later, a very disheveled and dirty Ginny looked at her husband who was in the same condition, but more exhausted than she was. "If this was easy, I'd hate to see a hard one," she griped. "I'm going back to the tent for a shower."

"How was I to know someone else had found this place years ago and added more defenses?" Harry objected as he followed her. "At least we accomplished our goal, twice over since there was an extra Horcrux from another person in there."

She stopped just inside the tent. "I know it's not your fault and I'm sorry for complaining, but I'm dirty and tired and this didn't go anything like I expected." She started pulling her clothes off as she walked toward the bathroom.

Harry set a small box down on the table and followed her, both in destination and in undressing. "If it matters, I think the treasure we found is enough to take care of us for the next year."

Ginny dropped the last of her clothes and stepped into the shower. Harry followed and held her loosely from behind and she relaxed into him as the very warm water cascaded over them. "I suppose that's useful, but that's not the reason we're doing this."

Harry grabbed the soap, lathered his hands, and started washing her. "Lovely," she groaned in pleasure.

"I've got enough energy to remind you why we are doing this," he commented as he worked his way down her body.

"Keep that up for a few more minutes, Potter, and I'll show you why we're doing this," she returned with some enthusiasm as he continued his ministrations.

"Deal," he said as he touched her in a magical place and caused her to hiss in pleasure. A moment later, Ginny grabbed the soap from him and washed him very quickly before shutting off the water and dragging him to bed without bothering with a towel.

They liberated one more Horcrux before returning home. Ginny also told him they were taking Bill with them next time.

* * *

A twenty-two year-old Ginny knelt down and adjusted her son's shirt before giving him a hug. "Jimmy, be good for Grand-Mum, all right?"

Harry wasn't sure their toddler fully understood her, but the little boy nodded seriously. He knelt down too and gave his son a hug. "We'll be back soon and you get to play with Victoire while we're gone." Little Jimmy looked over at his cousin who was only about a year older than he was and smiled happily.

"Don't worry about him," Molly Weasley said with fondness before her look turned to look at them with consternation, "worry about yourselves. Going on adventures at your age." She looked at her oldest son and his wife. "That goes for you too."

"We'll be fine, Mum," Bill assured her. "It's just a little trip to Egypt for a week or so. I've done it plenty of times and it'll be four of us to make it easier."

Molly snorted before telling them each good-bye with a hug and then shooing the children into the house.

"Shall we?" Harry asked and held out the Portkey.

They found three Horcruxes during the week and enough treasure that even Bill was impressed with their share. The two younger ones learned more about breaking down wards and avoiding curses too.

* * *

Harry was sitting at his desk in their comfortable home. It wasn't overly showy, as he didn't feel that described him or Ginny; but it had everything they needed and enough luxury they enjoyed living there. He'd remodeled #12 Grimmauld Place and rented it to Ted and Andromeda Tonks for the price of the taxes only; she actually liked the house now that it was redecorated and Kreacher liked her. Ted had a more difficult time with the elf, but Andromeda had taken care of the issue with a few careful orders.

Dobby popped into the study of the Potter House with a tray for tea for two. Harry was about to ask why when Ginny walked in and made herself comfortable in a chair. He looked at the clock and saw it was about time for her to be home, but her expression indicated she was unhappy. "Something wrong at practice with the Harpies?"

Ginny sighed and looked at her hands for the moment. "Yes, I suppose one could put it that way."

He could only think of one thing that would cause this. He stood and walked over to her hastily, then knelt beside her. "Did you lose your starting position?"

"In a way," she said softly before putting a hand on his head and caressing him lovingly. "I'm afraid we celebrated a bit too much after our last adventure, so I'm happy and yet not as much as I should be."

"And?" he asked, not quite sure where she was going with this.

"I'm pregnant again," she said bluntly.

"Really?" he said as he perked up and then reached out and hugged her. "That's wonderful, my love."

"It is, and yet I've enjoyed playing Quidditch so much, I…" She lost her smile for a moment. "I hate giving it up but I have to. It's not a rule they can legally enforce, but they've never taken anyone back after the third year off. They always find someone they think is better."

Harry hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, love. I know how much your time with the Harpies has meant to you and I've enjoyed all of your games, even those early ones where you were only on the reserve team." He was sure he could feel her smiling and he definitely could hear the low chuckling.

She continued to hold him. "You're so sweet and you've been so supportive." She let go and leaned back. "It's time for me to concentrate on other things all year instead of just sometimes like I have been. I need to focus on being a mum."

Harry smiled lovingly. "You've never been a bad mum and the children have understood that sometimes you couldn't be here. Jimmy is over the moon that his mum is a Quidditch player and you know Ian adores you too."

"I know. Still, I appreciate how much you've helped out here at home when I couldn't. I suppose," she grinned at him and leaned closer, "you're getting a reward for that. You finally get to use Lily for a name."

"A girl?! Yes!" Harry grabbed her and pulled her up so he could hug her and swing her around, causing Ginny to laugh at his antics and joy. "She'll be as pretty as you I'm sure."

Ginny recovered and they held each other. "I'm afraid there's one more disappointment, though for both of us. We're going to need to give up our adventures. I think the one we finished a couple of months ago was the last and I don't want you to go on one without me, especially since Bill stopped joining us two years ago."

Harry sobered and looked at her for a moment. "I don't like it, but I understand."

"Our children need their father as much as they need their mother," she told him. "Don't forget we've had some very close calls. Last year you were in the hospital for a week."

"True," he agreed, "I haven't forgotten."

"We can be adventurous with each other without that excitement," she promised with a flirtatious look.

"I look forward to that!" he said suggestively, causing them both to laugh and then kiss for a moment.

"While the Potter money means we'll never be poor, I think we've made more money from the treasures we've found while hunting for the Horcruxes than I've made as a professional Quidditch player and I've been paid well," she commented.

"All right, I've already given in," he told her easily. "I'll take care of a few conversations with the Stone and then call Death and hand his artifacts back."

She hugged him and held him this time. "Tell your parents and Sirius good-bye for now."

When she let go, he asked, "So, what shall we use for Lily's middle name?"

* * *

Harry held the Stone and the Wand as he draped the Cloak about his shoulders. Ginny stood near and watched him close his eyes and concentrate.

A moment later, Death appeared, looking as usual. "I'm surprised you called. The room for partial souls is now half empty and there are still names on the list I gave you."

Harry blinked. "That was the second list you have us and there are only a few names left. That many people have created Horcruxes over time?"

"It has been happening for thousands of years, but most were at the beginning," Death answered. "Why have you called me?"

Harry held out the Stone and the Wand. "We are finished hunting for you. We need to devote more time to our family. I would like to keep the Cloak though, if you will allow."

Death looked at him for a moment before looking at Ginny then back. His gravelly voice didn't really change much yet he sounded disappointed. "If that is the way you want it." _He_ stretched out his hand and the Wand and Stone floated to him then disappeared into the folds of his cloak.

"The Cloak is yours, but only until your death." _He_ grabbed his scythe that was standing on its own. "If you change your mind and would like to hunt again, wear the Cloak and call me." Death faded away.

Ginny stepped over and they held each other. "So what are you going to do with your time now that you aren't planning our next hunting adventure?"

"Well," Harry said slowly, "thanks to Hermione's idea I've done enough interviews with the Stone that I could write a number of biographies as well as some history books. I also banished Binns a few years ago at Minerva's request, and I understand her History of Magic professor wishes to go elsewhere. So maybe I'll go teach at Hogwarts."

"Only if you come home every night," she told him. "I like the school but it's not a place to raise our children."

"I agree with that," he told her and continued to hold her. "It's so much more comfortable here, especially in the winter." He looked at her and smiled yet again. "You have such wonderful plans."

(The End!)

* * *

(A/N: There we go, that's the end and I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry, I'm not sure what I'll do next, it depends on which muse inspires me. - Kevin)


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